Have you ever seen a bird that looks like it’s walking on water? That’s the jacana. This unique creature is often called a lily trotter or even the Jesus Christ bird because of its uncanny ability to seemingly stroll across the surface of ponds and lakes. But if you take a closer look at the male birds, you’ll notice something even stranger: some of them have multiple feet dangling from their feathers! This is actually a sign of a very good dad, like the jacana in this YouTube video.
Walking on Water
Jacanas walk along lily pads as they forage for insects, worms, larvae, and snails.
©YouTube/Nature on PBS – Original
Jacanas live across Africa, Asia, Australia, South and Central America, and Madagascar. These birds are perfectly designed for life in shallow lakes, lagoons, swamps, and marshes. Depending on the species, they typically stand 6 to 12 inches tall and weigh just 1 to 9 ounces. While they can fly, they are not strong fliers and cannot travel long distances.
Instead, jacanas are expertly adapted to life in wetland habitats. They have long legs and enormous feet with seriously long toes. These oversized feet act like aquatic snowshoes, spreading the bird’s weight over a large surface area (5 to 8 inches for an adult). This unique adaptation allows the birds to walk directly on thin lily pads and other floating vegetation without sinking, making it look like they’re walking on water.
Jacanas are also excellent swimmers and divers. To avoid predators from above, they often dive underwater and can stay submerged for quite a while. They use their long bills like snorkels, keeping just the tip above the surface to breathe while remaining hidden from view.
Role Reversal in Jacana Birds
There are eight species of jacana.
©YouTube/Nature on PBS – Original
Unlike many other bird species, male jacanas are the caregivers and take on all the “homemaking” duties. The male carefully builds a nest on the surface of the water from leaves, stems, and floating plants. After the female lays three to four eggs, her job is essentially done, and she leaves the male to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks on his own.
Jacana habitats are rich in food, so female jacanas don’t need to worry about conserving energy after laying eggs. This means a single female can lay multiple clutches of eggs with different males, leaving each father to care for the young. While she might help protect the nest from other females, she doesn’t directly care for the eggs or chicks herself. The only exception is the lesser jacana. In this singular species, both parents help build the nest, incubate the eggs, and care for their young.
Jacana Dads and Their Chicks
Female jacanas are twice as big as males.
©YouTube/Nature on PBS – Original
The male jacana, in contrast, is a wonderfully devoted father. He keeps the eggs warm, safe, and dry by tucking them under his wings. If the nest starts to sink, he can also use this clever method to move the eggs to a safer location.
Jacana chicks are tiny when they hatch, but they’re remarkably independent. They can walk, dive, and swim within just a few hours. While they are technically developed enough to survive on their own, they stick close to their father for 40 to 70 days. During this time, he teaches them how to find food and protects them from predators.
Jacana fathers are incredibly caring and protective. However, despite their efforts, survival rates can vary. In some species, fewer than half — and sometimes as few as 10% — of the chicks survive to adulthood because of the many dangers in their environment.
How Jacana Dads Protect Their Young
Female jacanas protect the territory while male jacanas protect the young.
©YouTube/Nature on PBS – Original
While the jacanas’ unique adaptations serve them well in their wetland homes, they still face many dangers. Predators like water snakes, otters, turtles, large fish, birds of prey, and crocodiles all hunt jacanas, especially their tiny chicks.
Jacana fathers are constantly on alert for danger. As you can see in the YouTube video, if a father senses a serious threat, he immediately gives an alarm call to his chicks. The little ones respond instantly and run to their father. He crouches down and opens his wings; the chicks quickly crawl underneath, and he scoops them up and carries them to safety.
This remarkable protective behavior explains why you might see a jacana with what looks like multiple feet sticking out of its feathers — those extra “feet” are actually the tiny legs of its chicks, peeking out from their cozy hiding place!
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