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Difference between revisions of "African Jacana" - BirdForum Opus

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;Actophilornis africanus
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[[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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[[Image:African_Jacana.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by IvoZafirov<br>Photographed: Lake Victoria, Uganda]]
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;[[:Category:Actophilornis|Actophilornis]] africanus<br />
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''Actophilornis africana''
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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These are conspicuous and unmistakable birds. They are 30cm long, but the females are larger than the males. They have chestnut upperparts with black wingtips, rear neck and eyestripe. The underparts are white, with a chestnut belly patch in adult birds. The blue bill extends up as a coot-like head shield, and the legs and very long toes are grey.
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23–31 cm (9-12¼ in), mass 115-274 g<br />
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'''Adult:'''
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Identification: About size of bantam; long-legged, with very long toes; body rich chestnut; hind neck black; fore neck white (conspicuous at distance) grading into golden yellow on breast; bill and frontal shield pale bluish. Immature: 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).
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*Chestnut upperparts with black wingtips, rear neck and eyestripe
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Measurements: Length 25-30 cm; wing  143-156-180; tail 38-56; tarsus 56-68; culmen 47-58 (variable in size; female usually bigger than male). Weight (male) 115-132,8-162 g, (female) 176-238,3-274 g.
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*White underparts
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Bare Parts: Iris dark brown; bill and frontal shield pale grey-blue; legs and toes slate grey.
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*Chestnut belly patch
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*Blue bill extends up as a coot-like head shield
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*Legs and very long toes are grey
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*Eyes are dark brown<br />
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Sexes alike but the females are larger than males
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====Similar Species====
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'''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).
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[[Image:African Jacana Juvanile.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile <br />Photo by {{user|JohnathanAKR|JohnathanAKR}}<br />[[Kruger National Park]], [[South Africa]], August 2007]]
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
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They are found worldwide within the tropical zone.
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Widespread thoughout sub-Saharan [[Africa]]<br />
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'''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]] and [[Angola]]<br />
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'''Eastern Africa''': [[Sudan]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Djibouti]], [[Somalia]], [[Kenya]], [[Uganda]], [[Rwanda]], [[Burundi]], [[Tanzania]], [[Zanzibar]], [[Zambia]], [[Mozambique]] and [[Malawi]]<br />
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'''Southern Africa''': [[Namibia]], [[Botswana]], [[Zimbabwe]], [[South Africa]], [[KwaZulu-Natal]], [[Lesotho]] and [[Swaziland]]<br />
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'''African Islands''': Saint Helena and [[Madagascar]]
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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This is a [[Dictionary_M-O#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
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==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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Lagoons, lakes, pans, river backwaters; usually with fringing vegetation and floating water lilies, Polygonum and other water plants.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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The African Jacana (Actophilornis africana) is a jacana. The jacanas are a group of waders in the family Charadriidae, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.  
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The Jacanas are a group of waders in the order [[:Category:Charadriiformes|Charadriiformes]]. Their huge feet and claws enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.
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African Jacana breeds throughout sub-Saharan Africa. 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.
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====Diet====
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Their diet consists mostly of insects and worms, with other arthropods such as spiders and crustaceans.
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====Breeding====
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It lays four black-marked brown eggs in a floating nest. A polyandrous species. The males, as in some other wader families like the phalaropes, take responsibility for incubation.
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====Movements====
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It is sedentary apart from seasonal dispersion.
  
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The African Jacana's food is insects and other invertebrates picked from the floating vegetation or the water’s surface
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug17}}#Avibase
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#Animal Pictures Archive
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{{ref}}
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==External Links==
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{{GSearch|Actophilornis+african}}
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<br />
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{{Video|African_Jacana}}
  
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[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Actophilornis]] [[Category:Videos]]
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==External Links==
 
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{{GSearch|Actophilornis+africanus}}
 
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[[Category:Birds]]
 

Revision as of 23:03, 30 December 2017

Photo by CollinBax
Lowersabie, Kruger National Park, South Africa, August 2008
Actophilornis africanus

Actophilornis africana

Identification

23–31 cm (9-12¼ in), 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).

Juvenile
Photo by JohnathanAKR
Kruger National Park, South Africa, August 2007

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 and Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho and Swaziland
African Islands: Saint Helena and 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.

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of insects and worms, with other arthropods such as spiders and crustaceans.

Breeding

It lays four black-marked brown eggs in a floating nest. A polyandrous species. The males, as in some other wader families like the phalaropes, take responsibility for incubation.

Movements

It is sedentary apart from seasonal dispersion.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. Animal Pictures Archive

Recommended Citation

External Links


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