Wattled Jacana
Jacana jacana
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyJacanidae (Jacanas)
- GenusJacana (New World Jacanas)
- SpeciesJacana jacana (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. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Wattled Jacana sighting in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, based on 67 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Northern Jacana
Jacana spinosa
Hudsonian Whimbrel
Numenius hudsonicus
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Semipalmated Plover
Charadrius semipalmatus
Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Red Knot
Calidris canutus
Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
Brown Noddy
Anous stolidus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Wattled Jacana in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge?
About 6% of wildlife watchers report a Wattled Jacana sighting in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, based on 67 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Wattled Jacana in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge?
October has the highest sighting rate for Wattled Jacana in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge in our monthly data.