Actophilornis africanus
The African Jacana, Actophilornis africanus, is a striking and unmistakable wader renowned for its remarkably elongated toes and claws, which enable it to 'walk on water' across floating vegetation. Measuring 23-31 cm in length with a wingspan of 50-58 cm and weighing 137-261 grams, adults display a vibrant chestnut plumage across their body, contrasting with a black cap, nape, and eye-stripe, and a bright white throat and foreneck. A distinctive pale blue frontal shield adorns its forehead, ...
Found in a variety of shallow freshwater wetlands, including permanent and seasonal swamps, marshes, lakes, and slow-moving rivers, characterized by abundant floating vegetation like water lilies.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide array of aquatic insects, their larvae, and other small invertebrates found on or near floating vegetation, occasionally supplementing with small fish or seeds.
African Jacanas are diurnal, spending most of their day foraging on floating aquatic plants and typically roosting amongst dense vegetation at night. Their primary foraging strategy involves walking deftly across lily pads and other floating flora, snatching insects and other invertebrates from t...
The African Jacana is widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, inhabiting wetlands from Mauritania and Senegal eastwards to Ethiopia, and south through much of eastern and southern Africa to South Africa. It is largely a resident species throughout its range, though some populations undertak...
Least Concern
- Often called the 'lily-trotter' due to its incredibly long toes and claws that distribute its weight, allowing it to walk on floating vegetation. - Exhibits a rare breeding system called polyandry, where one female mates with and lays clutches for multiple males. - The male African Jacana is so...