Diet

What does the African Jacana eat?

This species is a carnivore which will feed on a range of invertebrates. Crustaceans, molluscs and small amounts of seed may also be consumed.

They have been seen to land on buffalo and hippopotamus and forage insects living on their skin.

Learn more about the African Jacana in this video from Selous Safari Company on YouTube

Range

Where do you find the African Jacana?

Africa is the native home of the African jacana. Here they can be found across Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Eswatini; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Uganda; Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Out of the eight species of jacana only two are found on the African mainland with the other being the lesser jacana.

Habitat

Where can the African Jacana survive?

This species is associated with water with most individuals found near a permanent or semi-permanent wetland. They require two main components of their habitat, water lilies on which they can nest and small shrubs in which they can seek shelter.

They will also make use of ponds and dams.

Credit: Chris Eason, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Reproduction

How does the African Jacana produce its young?

Where a watercourse is permanent they will breed year round but it can be seasonal if the wetland is.

Unlike most species of bird the male is responsible for rearing the chicks. Females move between nests mating with multiple males and deposits her eggs before moving on to the next. Females have been seen to lay outside the nest and a male then gathers the eggs and moves them to his.

Females maintain a territory and when they take on a new one they may kill any chicks which is not theirs.

Each clutch can include between 2 and 5 eggs which are tan in color.

Nest sites are located near the water's edge and over the 2-3 week incubation period many are lost to flooding. As they breed in a hot environment they will often shade the eggs rather than incubate them.

Their nest is a loose pad of semi-submerged vegetation.

After the chicks hatch the male will gather the eggshell and take it out of the nest.

The male is able to pick up the chick under his wing and can carry it around until it can fly on its own. They first undertake a flight at 7 weeks old.

Sexual maturity is reached at one year old.

Behavior

What does the African Jacana do during its day?

These birds make a mournful, whining sound during take off and landing. Their alarm call is a loud screech. In flight they may produce a rattling screech.

They will gather in large groups at watering holes. These animals are nomadic and will move around during periods of drought to find food.

African jacanas molt their feathers in one go each year and during this period are unable to fly.

Credit: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Predators and Threats

What stops the African Jacana from surviving and thriving?

When threatened this species is able to go underwater and expose just the tip of their bill to keep breathing.

Populations of the African jacana are considered stable and may include up to 1,000,000 individuals.

The primary threat to their ongoing survival is habitat loss and destruction with an emerging threat being the development of hydroelectric power. Overgrazing by stock also affects their habitat.

Introduced species such as nutria feed on water lilies and are removing suitable habitat.

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Quick facts

This species may also be known as the lily walker or Jesus bird due to their ability to walk across aquatic vegetation.

Credit: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons