Get to know all about the African jacana in this week’s birding column
The jacana's nest is a small pad of plant stems, on floating vegetation at water level. Two to four heavily streaked tan - yellow to brown eggs are laid.
THESE jacanas are common to abundant residents, found from East London northwards through most of KZN, eSwatini, the Eastern low veld and Limpopo river regions.
They like lagoons, lakes, pans, river backwaters, usually with fringing water plant vegetation and floating waterlilies.
Moving in loose small groups, solitary or in pairs, they walk quickly over floating plants (hence the name lilytrotter) pecking at surfaces or turning up edges of leaves for food. Their flight is quick, with irregular wing beats, the long toes trailing behind and raising their wings briefly on landing.
Jacanas feed on insects, molluscs, crustaceans, seeds, and waterlily bulbs.
Their highly vocal call is a noisy sharp krrrek, a rasping krrrrrk, and a barking yowk yowk.
Breeding takes place from October to April. The nest is a small pad of plant stems, on floating vegetation at water level. Two to four heavily streaked tan – yellow to brown eggs are laid.
The male performs all parental duties after the female lays the eggs. Incubation period is 22 to 26 days and they are fledglings for 35 to 40 days. The male may carry small chicks under his wings when threatened. The chicks swim and dive well.
The isiZulu name is iThandaluzibo and in Afrikaans die grootlangtoon.
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