Bird Album
African Jacana
Actophilornis africanus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
23–31 cmLength189 gWeight
The African jacana (Actophilornis africanus) is a wader in the family Jacanidae.
Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Uganda
Where and when it's recorded
African Jacana has been recorded at 469 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 38 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Amboseli NPKenya1,370 records
- Mabamba SwampUganda1,159 records
- Chobe River – boat tripBotswana619 records
More places
- Bwabwata NP – Mahango riverside loopNamibia468 records
- Queen Elizabeth II NP – Kazinga Channel Boat TripUganda467 records
- Kruger NP – Lake Panic Bird HideSouth Africa464 records
- Mabamba Swamp – Main channelUganda459 records
- Lake NaivashaKenya434 records
- Nairobi NPKenya423 records
- Kruger NP – Lower Sabie Rest CampSouth Africa422 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The African jacana (Actophilornis africanus) is a wader in the family Jacanidae. It has long toes and long claws that enable it to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, its preferred habitat. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the African Jacana?
The African Jacana is about 23–31 cm long and weighs around 189 g.
Where does the African Jacana live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread inland Sub-Saharan Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda.
When is the best time to see the African Jacana?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the African Jacana endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the African Jacana as Least Concern.
What does the African Jacana eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the African Jacana in?
It belongs to the family Jacanas (Jacanidae), order Charadriiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 23–31 cm
- Weight
- 189 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 156 mm
- Tail
- 47 mm
- Bill
- 37 mm
- Tarsus
- 66 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread inland Sub-Saharan Africa
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Jacanas Jacanidae
- Genus
- Actophilornis
Other birds in the genus Actophilornis
Madagascar JacanaActophilornis albinucha
Pheasant-tailed JacanaHydrophasianus chirurgus
Northern JacanaJacana spinosa
Wattled JacanaJacana jacana
Lesser JacanaMicroparra capensis
Comb-crested JacanaIrediparra gallinacea
Bronze-winged JacanaMetopidius indicus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Asrat Ayalew Gella. ↗
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