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Birds
African jacana
African jacana · Actophilornis africanus
African jacanas move seemingly effortlessly across waterlily leaves, surprising you with vibrant colours and watery acrobatics.
Fact file
- Size
- Body length 23 to 31 cm, about 140 to 260 g in weight
- Males and females
- Females are slightly larger, otherwise hardly any external differences
- Sounds
- Bright rasping, whistling calls and soft squeaking
- Diet
- Insects, seeds, small snails and aquatic plants
- Offspring
- Males incubate and rear 4 to 5 eggs, hatching usually with the start of the rainy season
How to identify African jacana
African jacanas, with their long-legged, delicate silhouettes, seem to float over waterlily leaves. The most striking feature is the bright blue forehead shield, standing out clearly against the chestnut-brown body. Their black wing tips and white facial area make them easy to recognise.
Their legs and toes are remarkably long and spread wide. This allows the African jacana to distribute its weight so that it runs almost weightlessly over aquatic plants. Females are slightly larger, but males and females otherwise look almost identical. In flight, the broad, rounded wings are noticeable.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- 2 places where you can see African jacana
Where African jacana live
Namibia
South Africa
Discover African jacana on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
