About the Northern Jacana
The northern jacana or northern jaçana is a wader which is known as a resident breeder from coastal Mexico to western Panama, and on Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola in the Caribbean. It is sometimes known to breed in Texas, United States, and has also been recorded on several occasions as a vagrant in Arizona. The jacanas are a group of wetland birds, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws, which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. In Jamaica, this bird is also known as the 'Jesus bird', as it appears to walk on water.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The northern jacana is medium-sized wader with long legs and elongated toes. It measures 21.5 to 24 cm (8.5 to 9.4 in) in overall length. The female is significantly larger than the male: breeding females average 161 g (5.7 oz) compared to 91 g (3.2 oz) for the male. It has a chestnut-maroon body with a black head, neck and breast. The bill is bright yellow as is the fleshy shield at the base of the forehead. The upper mandible has a white base. When in flight, its yellowish-green primary and secondary wing feathers are visible. Voice: Vocalizations among jacanas usually occur between mating pairs or between fathers and their young. Jacanas will emit "clustered-note calls", which are made of individual notes clustered together, when jacanas attack intruders in their territories. Jacanas also made calls when eggs or chicks are under threat by predators. The notes and their pattern depend on the urgency of the threat.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Brazil.
When to see it
Peak activity in January · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Side by side: Northern Jacana vs Wattled Jacana · Bronze-winged Jacana vs Northern Jacana
Learn the Northern Jacana for real
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