Wattled Jacana

The wattled jacana (Jacana jacana) is a medium-sized wader native to most of South America. Freshwater wetlands are their preferred environments, where they forage on floating vegetation, using their elongated toes to turn over plants in the hopes of catching an invertebrate. These birds are known for their loud cackles but have a sweet spot for their young.

5 Amazing Wattled Jacana Facts

• The wattled jacana is native to South America and is one of the only two jacana species from the Americas.
• They are black and chestnut-colored with distinctive greenish-yellow flight feathers.
• They are typically noisy birds, but take on a soft tone with their young.
• They dive under the water’s surface to escape predators.
• Their young are born in advanced states, but their father cares for them for several weeks.

Where to Find the Wattled Jacana

The wattled jacana lives in South America in over 18 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. You can find this species from Western Panama and Trinidad, and south through most of the continent east of the Andes. Jacanas live in freshwater wetlands with abundant floating vegetation. It may also venture to nearby meadows and grasslands, but prefers to forage in shallow water in its preferred environment. Look for them walking across the water, using their enormous feet to steady themselves on aquatic plants. 

Nests

With limited assistance from females, males build their nests on partially submerged floating vegetation. They form it using stems and aquatic plants and typically surround it with nearby greenery to conceal it from nest predators.

Classification and Scientific Name

The wattled jacana (Jacana jacana) is from the Charadriiformes order, which contains 390 bird species that live near water and eat invertebrates. The Jacanidae family encompasses the jacanas, a group of tropical waders. Jacana’s genus comprises the American species, including the northern and wattled jacana. 

Size, Appearance, & Behavior

The wattled jacana is a medium-sized wader, measuring eight to twelve inches and weighing three to five ounces, and having a wingspan of about 20 inches (50 cm). Adults have chestnut-colored backs and wings and are black everywhere else. Their flight feathers are greenish-yellow, and they have yellow bony spurs on their wings. Its yellow bill extends up to a red shield and wattle. Their young have white underparts. Like other jacana species, they have long legs, enormous feet, and elongated toes. These birds are noisy and make sharp, cackling calls, getting louder when in the presence of intruders or predators. However, their sounds are soft and light when they converse with their mates or their young. Jacanas are not strong fliers and prefer to stay in the water, where they are excellent swimmers and divers.

Migration Pattern and Timing

Wattled jacanas are nonmigratory, meaning they live year-round in their environments.

Diet

The wattled jacana is primarily carnivorous but may supplement its diet with seeds.

What Does the Wattled Jacana Eat?

Wattled jacanas eat insects, worms, snails, small crabs, mollusks, fish, and seeds. They forage for food using their pointy bills or elongated toes to flip over vegetation as they wade in the water. It will also uproot aquatic plants to find invertebrates.

Predators, Threats, and Conservation Status

The IUCN lists the wattled jacana as LC or “least concern”. Due to its extensive range and large, stable population, this species does not meet the “threatened” status thresholds. While this species is not experiencing any significant threats at the moment, they are susceptible to habitat loss, wetland drainage, and human-related disturbances.

What Eats the Wattled Jacana?

Like other jacana species, the wattled jacana can fall prey to birds of prey (hawks, owls, eagles, etc.), large fish, turtles, otters, crocodiles, and water snakes. Jacanas use the water to their advantage, depending on what’s hunting them, by diving under the surface to escape. They will even stay underwater with their beaks poking out, waiting for the threat to pass. Fathers teach their young how to do this at a young age. They also have sharp wing spurs that they can use in defense if all else fails.

Reproduction, Young, and Molting

Like others in its species, the wattled jacana participates in a polyandrous mating system. The females are territorial and mate with multiple partners, while the males solely care for the young. Females will create a harem of males (sometimes three or four) and spread their egg clutches around. If the males doubt their paternity, they will destroy the clutch. Females lay four eggs, and males incubate them for about 22 to 28 days. The chicks are born in an advanced state, but their fathers will care for them for several weeks. The young become sexually mature by one to two years old. Their average lifespan is 6.5 years.

Population

The global wattled jacana population is estimated to number 5 to 50 million mature individuals. Their current population trend is stable, and there don’t appear to be any extreme fluctuations or fragmentations in their numbers.