PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA

 

Photographed just south of Siem Reap, Cambodia, November 2023

(* 1087)                 PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA               Hydrophasianus chirurgus     

CAMBODIA                47

Found on marshes, lakes and tanks with floating vegetation. They are found in tropical Asia from Yemen in the west to the Philippines in the east and move seasonally in parts of their range. They are the only jacanas that migrate long distances and have different non-breeding and breeding plumages.

PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA

March 2017

1087                 PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA               Hydrophasianus chirurgus     

SRI LANKA               98

Found on marshes, lakes and tanks with floating vegetation. 31 cm. Locally common breeding resident in the lowlands.

BRONZE-WINGED JACANA

Photographed at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal March 2017

1002                          BRONZE-WINGED JACANA                     Metopidius indicus

NEPAL                    60

Found in lakes and pools with floating aquatic plants. 28-31 cm. Resident, fairly common in lowlands, uncommon up to 915m; across south of Nepal.

Male

Female

LESSER JACANA

435            LESSER JACANA            Microparra capensis

South Africa           (103)

Ranges across the north and east of Southern Africa. 15-17 cm. Found on floodplains and wetlands with emergent grass and sedges.

AFRICAN JACANA

357           AFRICAN JACANA                Actophilornis africanus

South Africa         (50)

30 cm. Found in sub-Saharan Africa. This bird has unusual breeding system. It is polyandrous, the female has a harem. She mates and lays eggs. The male cares for these eggs and the chicks when hatched. He can pick up the chicks under his wings to move them around. She may lay a brood of eggs for other males.

COMB-CRESTED JACANA

187            COMB-CRESTED JACANA              Irediparra gallinacea

Australia    (187)

Also known as Lily-trotter and Lotusbird. 20-26 cm, female is larger. Range from Kimberley in WA across the top and down as far as the Hunter River NSW, can be well inland as far as Mount Isa and Mudgee. Found on floating vegetation in permanent wetlands and dams, occasionally feeding along banks.