Jacanidae facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jacanas Temporal range: Oligocene to recent
Comb-crested jacana (Irediparra gallinacea)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Suborder:	Thinocori
Family:	Jacanidae Chenu & des Murs, 1854
Type genus
Jacana
Genera
Microparra Actophilornis Irediparra Hydrophasianus Metopidius Jacana
Synonyms
Parridae

Jacanas are amazing tropical birds, sometimes called "Jesus birds" or "lily trotters." They are known for their super long toes and claws. These special feet help them walk easily on floating plants in lakes and ponds. Jacanas live in warm, tropical parts of the world.

What's really cool about them is that the female birds are bigger than the males. In many jacana species, the female bird has several male partners. The male jacanas are the ones who build the nests, hatch the eggs, and take care of the baby chicks all by themselves.

All About Jacanas

Jacanas are a group of birds in the family called Jacanidae. French naturalists Jean-Charles Chenu and Marc des Murs first named this bird family in 1854. The name "jacana" comes from a Portuguese word, which came from an old Tupi name for the bird.

There are eight different types of jacanas alive today. Scientists have also found fossils of four jacana species that lived long ago. These fossils help us learn about their history.

How Jacanas Walk on Water

Jacanas are easy to spot because of their very long toes and claws. These special feet help them spread their weight out. This means they can walk on floating plants like lily pads without sinking! They live in shallow lakes and ponds.

Jacanas have sharp beaks and rounded wings. Some even have sharp spurs on their wings. Many species also have colorful skin flaps called wattles on their foreheads.

Jacana Families and Eggs

Female jacanas are usually larger than the males. But both sexes look similar in their feathers. Unlike many other birds, male jacanas are in charge of hatching the eggs and raising the chicks.

Most jacana species have more than one male partner (this is called polyandry). The only exception is the lesser jacana, which usually has one partner.

Jacanas build simple nests on floating plants. Their eggs have dark, wavy lines on them. This helps the eggs blend in with the water plants, keeping them safe. Male jacanas keep the eggs warm by holding them under their wings. Their wing bones are specially shaped to help with this.

Young jacana chicks can also hide under their parent's wings. The parent bird can even carry them to safety this way! If danger comes, young chicks can dive underwater. They stay submerged with only their beak sticking out to breathe. Some adult jacanas use this trick too.

What Jacanas Eat

Jacanas mainly eat insects and other small creatures. They pick these off floating plants or from the water's surface. They might also eat plant seeds. Some jacanas, like the wattled jacana, have even been seen picking ticks off large animals like capybaras! Sometimes, they might accidentally eat algae or plant bits while hunting for bugs.

How Jacanas Fly

Most jacanas have rounded wings and short tails. They tend to fly slowly and not very strongly. Most jacana species stay in one place. However, the pheasant-tailed jacana travels long distances. It migrates from the northern parts of its home to places like India and Southeast Asia.

Jacana Species Around the World

{{cladogram|align=right|caption=Family tree of living jacana types, based on their genes. |cladogram=

Species	Common name	Where they live
Microparra capensis	Lesser jacana	Central and southeastern Africa	Lesser jacana
Actophilornis africanus	African jacana	Central and southern Africa	African jacana
Actophilornis albinucha	Madagascar jacana	Madagascar	Madagascar jacana
Irediparra gallinacea	Comb-crested jacana	Malaysia, northeastern Australia	Comb-crested jacana
Hydrophasianus chirurgus	Pheasant-tailed jacana	Asia	Pheasant-tailed jacana
Metopidius indicus	Bronze-winged jacana	Asia	Bronze-winged jacana
Jacana spinosa	Northern jacana	Mexico, Central America	Northern jacana
Jacana jacana	Wattled jacana	Panama, northeastern South America	Wattled jacana
Extinct species
†Jacana farrandi		Pliocene, Florida
†Nupharanassa bulotorum		Lower Oligocene, Egypt
†Nupharanassa tolutaria		Lower Oligocene, Egypt
†Janipes nymphaeobates		Lower Oligocene, Egypt

Images for kids

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  Wing bone adaptations in the jacanas