The animal kingdom is full of exotic creatures and has the most number of species, not every person knows about., and today you’re just about to learn something new! Ever heard of African Jacana? Well, it’s a type of water bird coming from the Jacanidae family, which has 8 known species of Jacanas, and one of them is the African Jacana. It is a tropical bird that mostly resides in wetlands and is usually found in sub-Saharan Africa.
These warm-blooded vertebrates are gifted to walk on water, therefore they are also known as the Jesus bird.
The biological structure of their slender, long legs paired with large feet and toes up to 7cm (2.75 inches) allows them to walk on floating vegetation with ease.
They are also referred to as lily trotters because they spend a greater amount of their lives living on the water. These species are very well skilled and evolved to the point where they could live not only on the water but also under it, making them less likely to be killed by predators.
Jacana’s lifestyle is almost similar to the modern-day man’s way of living. These species engage in an unusual mating system called polyandry. It means that females mate with multiple males, leaving the duty of taking care of the chicks to males. Due to the fact of being huge, the female Jacanas take charge of protecting the territory while the males protect the baby chicks.
Being single again is not a problem but what’s tough is being a single dad. For these male Jacanas, it’s a piece of cake. These species are known to be experts in safeguarding their chicks. Their signature move at protecting the little ones is tucking them right under their wings with the feet sticking out.
A bit creepy, isn’t it? A few lucky photographers have managed to capture this unique moment on camera.
