Wading bird with very long toes and claws enabling it to walk on the floating leaves of water plants. There are seven species. Jacanas are found in Mexico, Central America, South America, Africa, South Asia, and Australia, usually in marshy areas. (Family Jacanidae, order Charadriiformes.)
The
Australian jacana (
Irediparra gallinacea) is so well adapted to life on water that the eggs are laid on floating vegetation and can themselves float.
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