Lesser Jacana vs Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Lesser Jacana

Microparra capensis

Small41 gWetland

The smallest species in the Jacanidae family, the lesser jacana is 15–16 cm tall and weighs 41g. It has a white breast, golden forehead, cinnamon crown, and dark eyestripe. Its mantle and wings are also darker. As other jacanas, they have long legs and claws which are adapted for walking on lily-pads and aquatic grasses – which is why jacanas are sometimes referred to as lily trotters or Jesus birds because they appear as though they are walking on the surface of the water. Lesser jacana eggs resemble African jacana eggs but are smaller. Voice: Lesser jacanas have been observed to make five distinct vocalizations. The first of these is a distress call that the lesser jacana will produce when its chicks are approached, a chatter that sounds like "hwi hwi hwi …." The most common vocalization is a melodic, low-pitch "woot" produced by both sexes.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

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

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