Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Jacana (from Tupi name for bird) spinosa ("thorny")

 

Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa) at San Jose, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 91-161g  /  Length: 21-24cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A common resident of Caribbean and Central American Wetlands, the Northern Jacana is an unusual bird in several respects - while most initially the most obvious feature may be its huge splayed feet which allow it to spread its weight to walk on floating water plants easily. However, it also has spurs on its wings which can be used for defense. There is also the unusualy behaviour where an adult jacana can carry its clutch of chicks under its wings to escape safety, however the plethora of dangling ffet from a single bird does lend to an element of eldritch horror.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Jacanidae
Genus: Jacana
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations - 

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Jacana Centroamericana

Widespread and common in wetlands
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles and San Jose

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Metopidius ("on the forehead") indicus ("Indian")

Adult Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus) at Phnom Krom, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 150-350g  /  Length: 29cm  /  Wingspan: 54cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

While the pheasant-tailed jacana proved to be numerous and fairly conspicuous, the Bronze-winged proved to be a much scarcer shyer bird.  As we finished the lap of the track we were on just before we returned to our car, our guide spotted a single bird distantly moving amongst the waterside plants on the far side of a field.   In some ways a subtle bird, a closer inpection reveals something akin to a metallic version of a colour scheme you'd more expect on a rail - a bright yellow beek and then deep rich green and purple plumage, along with the namesake bronze wing.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Jacanidae
Genus: Metopidius
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: ព្រហីតខ្មៅ ("Black Jacana")

Locally common resident

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - One at Phnom Krom

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Hydrophasianus ("water pheasant") chirurgus ("surgeon")

Two non-breeding Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) at Phnom Krom, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 113-135g  /  Length: 39-58cm  /  Wingspan: 63-68cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The jacanas are a small unique group of waders characterised by having enormous feet which they use to live their lives based around floating vegetation such as lillies.  Amongst the eight species, the pheasant-tailed is a bit of an oddity - it's the only one to have a specific breeding plumage (including the namesake pheasant-tail) and the only one to migrate.  Given they seemed to favour the cover of lotus fields, they flushed very easily from a distance.  They are also an unusual example of a polyandrous species, where the female may mate with multiple males throughout the breeding season and leave them to do the incubating and raising of the chicks.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Jacanidae
Genus: Hydrophasianus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: ព្រហីតស ("Jacana")

Locally common resident

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - Numerous at Phnom Krom

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .