ideo Byte: Jacana Class: Aves (Birds) Length: males—6 to 15
inches (15 to 39 centimeters); females—6 to 23 inches (15 to 58
centimeters) Weight: males—1.4 to 4.8 ounces (41 to 137 grams);
females—1.4 to 9 ounces (41 to 261 grams) Life span: unknown
Number of eggs laid: 4 eggs Incubation: 20 to 26 days Age of
maturity: 1 year Status in the wild: Stable When spread out, a
jacana’s toes and claws can cover an area up to 5 by 8 inches
(12 by 20 centimeters). • Pheasant-tailed and northern jacana
males will pick up the empty shell of their newly hatched chick
and fly several yards (meters) away before dropping it. This may
keep predators away from the nest. • Female jacanas can be
almost twice as big as the males. Jacanas are colorful birds
with long legs and incredibly long toes and claws. The super-
long toes spread the bird’s weight over a large area. This
allows them to walk across floating vegetation, especially lily
pads. Jacanas often appear to be walking on the water itself!
They are also very good swimmers