Wattled Jacana

Wattled Jacana

Jacana jacana

Silhouette: Burton Robert, USFWS · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Barranquilla

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

271 Verified sightings at Barranquilla
11,569 In all 26 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Wattled Jacana

The wattled jacana (Jacana jacana) is a wader in the family Jacanidae found throughout much of South America east of the Andes, as well as western Panama and Trinidad. It is the only species in the Jacanidae family with such a large distribution. Wattled jacanas have long toes and claws which help them walk through aquatic vegetation. Like the majority of species of jacanas, the female is larger than the male, and forms harems of up to 4 or 5 males at any given time. There is also a major difference in proportional development or ornamentation (facial crest and wing size) and defense (length of wing spur) relative to body size when compared to males.

"Jacana" comes from the Tupi word ñaha'nã which means "very loud bird". The wattled jacana lays four black-marked brown eggs in a floating nest. The male, as with other jacanas and some other wader families like the phalaropes, takes responsibility for incubation, with two eggs held between each wing and the breast. The females are polyandrous and will help to defend the nests of up to four mates.

These are conspicuous and unmistakable birds. They are 17–23 cm (6.7–9.1 in) long, but the... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Alarm call0:12

Ecuador · 2021

© Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · XC1163316 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:04

French Guiana · 2024

© Tristan Guillebot de Nerville · XC1100520 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:47

Brazil · 2022

© Ricardo Gagliardi · XC835843 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~70%
2 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~60%
3 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~50%
4 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~40%
5 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
6 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~20%
7 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
8 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
9 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
10 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
11 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
12 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
13 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
14 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
15 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
16 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
17 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
18 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
19 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
20 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
21 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
22 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
23 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
24 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
25 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
26 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Barranquilla 🇨🇴 Colombia
~40%
2 Santa Cruz de la Sierra 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~40%
3 Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Argentina
~30%
4 Curitiba 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
5 Fortaleza 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
6 Asuncion 🇵🇾 Paraguay
~20%
7 Recife 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
8 Campo Grande 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
9 João Pessoa 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
10 Belém 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 San Diego Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Prague Zoo 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
3 National Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
4 Shedd Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
5 ZooParc de Beauval 🇫🇷 France In captivity
6 Zürich Zoo 🇨🇭 Switzerland In captivity
7 Barcelona Zoo 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
8 San Diego Zoo Safari Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
9 Caldwell Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
10 Houston Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
11 Cologne Zoological Garden 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
12 London Zoo 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
13 Aquarama Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
14 Vogelpark Avifauna 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
15 Aviario Nacional de Colombia 🇨🇴 Colombia In captivity
16 Georgia Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
17 Tracy Aviary 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
18 Dallas World Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
19 Bird Kingdom 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
20 Rákosův pavilon 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
21 Velemlokárium 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
22 Cologne Zoo Aquarium 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
23 Montreal Biodome 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Wattled Jacana in Barranquilla?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Wattled Jacana sighting in Barranquilla on a given day, based on 271 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 15th most-seen of the 153 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Wattled Jacana in Barranquilla?

January

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Wattled Jacana in Barranquilla on a given day, against about 30% in April and November, the lowest months. That is one of Barranquilla's driest months, with almost no rain against 220 mm in October.

What time of day is best to see a Wattled Jacana?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wattled Jacana sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Barranquilla the best place to see a Wattled Jacana?

Yes

Of the 31 cities where we can rate Wattled Jacana sightings, Barranquilla has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia, about 40%) and Buenos Aires (Argentina, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Wattled Jacana live in Barranquilla?

Same order: Charadriiformes

The closest relatives of the Wattled Jacana that you can see in Barranquilla (order Charadriiformes, Shorebirds and Allies) are Large-billed Tern (about 60%), Southern Lapwing (about 40%) and Black-necked Stilt (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Wattled Jacana sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Wattled Jacana is recorded against all the birds logged in Barranquilla (271 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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