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| + | ;[[:Category:Actophilornis|Actophilornis]] africanus | ||
[[Image:African_Jacanaa.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|CollinBax|CollinBax}}<br />Lowersabie, [[Kruger National Park]], [[South Africa]], August 2008]] | [[Image:African_Jacanaa.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|CollinBax|CollinBax}}<br />Lowersabie, [[Kruger National Park]], [[South Africa]], August 2008]] | ||
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==Identification== | ==Identification== | ||
Length 25-30 cm, mass 115-274 g<br /> | Length 25-30 cm, mass 115-274 g<br /> | ||
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'''African Islands''': Saint Helena, [[Madagascar]] | '''African Islands''': Saint Helena, [[Madagascar]] | ||
==Taxonomy== | ==Taxonomy== | ||
| − | + | This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>. | |
==Habitat== | ==Habitat== | ||
Lagoons, lakes, pans, river backwaters; usually with fringing vegetation and floating water lilies, Polygonum and other water plants. | Lagoons, lakes, pans, river backwaters; usually with fringing vegetation and floating water lilies, Polygonum and other water plants. | ||
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It is sedentary apart from seasonal dispersion. It lays four black-marked brown eggs in a floating nest. The males, as in some other wader families like the phalaropes, take responsibility for incubation. | It is sedentary apart from seasonal dispersion. It lays four black-marked brown eggs in a floating nest. The males, as in some other wader families like the phalaropes, take responsibility for incubation. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| − | #Avibase | + | #{{Ref-Clements6thDec09}}#Avibase |
#Animal Pictures Archive | #Animal Pictures Archive | ||
{{ref}} | {{ref}} | ||
Revision as of 22:36, 11 July 2010
- Actophilornis africanus
Identification
Length 25-30 cm, mass 115-274 g
Adult:
- Chestnut upperparts with black wingtips, rear neck and eyestripe
- White underparts
- Chestnut belly patch
- Blue bill extends up as a coot-like head shield
- Legs and very long toes are grey
- Eyes are dark brown
Sexes alike but the females are larger than males
Similar Species
Immature: is similar to adult Lesser Jacana, but much bigger; above light brown (dark brown in adult Lesser Jacana), below white; breast washed golden (no gold in adult Lesser Jacana); flanks brown; frontal shield small (not visible in field); crown and hind neck blackish brown (crown rufous in adult Lesser Jacana); black line through eye; buff eyebrow (eyebrow of adult Lesser Jacana white, forehead buff).
Distribution
Widespread thoughout sub-Saharan Africa
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Swaziland
African Islands: Saint Helena, Madagascar
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Lagoons, lakes, pans, river backwaters; usually with fringing vegetation and floating water lilies, Polygonum and other water plants.
Behaviour
The Jacanas are a group of waders in the order Charadriiformes. Their huge feet and claws enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.
Breeding
It is sedentary apart from seasonal dispersion. It lays four black-marked brown eggs in a floating nest. The males, as in some other wader families like the phalaropes, take responsibility for incubation.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Avibase
- Animal Pictures Archive
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) African Jacana. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/African_Jacana
