Bird Guide

Bronze-winged Jacana vs Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)

Bronze-winged Jacana

Metopidius indicus

Medium155 gWetland

Bronze-winged jacanas are rail-like, large, short tailed birds that appear dark at a distance except for the supercilium. They are 29 cm (11 in) in length. The sexes are similar but the females are slightly larger than the males. The wings are bronzy brown with a green sheen and have a reduced tubercular carpal spur. The head, neck and breast are black and contrast with the broad white supercilium that runs from over the eye to the back of the neck. The lower back and tail coverts are chestnut. The tail is stubby and reddish brown with black terminal band.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Bronze-winged Jacana
Recorded by craig wilson · Call, male returning to nest · Puri (near Kanchisasan), Central Division, Odisha, India · CC BY 4.0
Photo: shrikant rao · CC BY 2.0
Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Hydrophasianus chirurgus

Medium160 gWetland

The pheasant-tailed jacana is conspicuous and unmistakable. It is the longest species in the jacana family when the tail streamers are included. The breeding plumage is marked by the elongated central tail feathers that given the bird its name. The body is chocolate brown, the face is white, and the back of the crown is black with white stripes running down the sides of the neck, separating the white of the front of neck and the silky golden yellow of the nape. The wings are predominantly white.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Davidvraju · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Bronze-winged Jacana and Pheasant-tailed Jacana.