Northern Jacana
Jacana spinosa
- Family
- Jacanas (Jacanidae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The northern jacana or northern jaçana (Jacana spinosa) is a wader which is known as a resident breeder from coastal Mexico to western Panama, and on Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola in the Caribbean. It is sometimes known to breed in Texas, United States, and has also been recorded on several occasions as a vagrant in Arizona. The jacanas are a group of wetland birds, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws, which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. In Jamaica, this bird is also known as the 'Jesus bird', as it appears to walk on water.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Inland southern Sinaloa and central Tamaulipas (northwestern and northeastern Mexico); rarely southern Texas (where formerly bred) to western Panama, and including Cozumel (just off Yucatan Peninsula); and Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Northern jacana
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
