Happy April! If you’re heading to your local lake or wetlands over the Easter long weekend, you may see our April calendar pinup – the Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea). The photo of the jacana in your Bird’s-eye view calendar was taken at Norfolk Lakes Park in Queensland.
The Comb-crested Jacana has super cool feet that helps it seemingly walk on water and across lily pads and freshwater vegetation. These feet extend behind when it flies making the jacana look like a giant mosquito. My favourite feature is the powder blue ring around the jacana’s eye which always makes me think of perfectly applied blue eyeliner. Its reddish comb that becomes larger and brighter as the jacana becomes an adult is also a cool and notable feature.
My other favourite sight to behold with the Comb-crested Jacana is that the males, if threatened, will pick up their chicks and hide them under their wings (similar to what Masked Lapwings do with their chicks). So, if you see a ten-legged jacana you now know what’s really happening! This ABC News story from a while ago show some amazing pictures of this behaviour.
I hope you have a great month and see a jacana or tow as well as lots of other birds in your travels.