Northern Jacana
Northern JacanaNorthern JacanaNorthern JacanaNorthern Jacana

Northern Jacana

Jacana spinosa

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
194 Verified records at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
March Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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. Wikipedia →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Jacana sighting in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, based on 194 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve

Laughing Gull
LC

Laughing Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus atricilla

70–80% · Very likely
Royal Tern

Royal Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus maximus

60–70% · Likely
Willet

Willet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa semipalmata

50–60% · Likely
Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus sandvicensis

50–60% · Likely
Ruddy Turnstone
NT

Ruddy Turnstone

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Arenaria interpres

40–50% · Likely
Black-necked Stilt
Endemic

Black-necked Stilt

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Himantopus mexicanus

40–50% · Likely
Black Skimmer
LC

Black Skimmer

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rynchops niger

40–50% · Likely
Least Sandpiper
NT

Least Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris minutilla

40–50% · Likely
Black-bellied Plover
VU

Black-bellied Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pluvialis squatarola

30–40% · Possible
Sanderling
LC

Sanderling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris alba

30–40% · Possible
Spotted Sandpiper
LC

Spotted Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Actitis macularius

30–40% · Possible
Semipalmated Plover
LC

Semipalmated Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Charadrius semipalmatus

30–40% · Possible

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
20–30
Feb
20–30
Mar
20–30
Apr
10–20
May
10–20
Jun
10–20
Jul
10–20
Aug
20–30
Sep
10–20
Oct
10–20
Nov
20–30
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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

# Park Country Probability
1 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
60–70%
2 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
60–70%
3 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
50–60%
4 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
5 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
30–40%
6 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
7 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
20–30%
8 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
9 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
10 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
11 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
12 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
13 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
10–20%
14 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
10–20%
15 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
5–10%
16 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
17 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
18 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
19 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
20 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
22 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
23 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
24 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
25 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
26 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
27 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
28 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
29 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
30 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
31 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
32 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
33 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
34 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
35 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
36 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
37 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
38 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
39 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
40 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
41 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Northern Jacana in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Jacana sighting in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, based on 194 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Northern Jacana in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve?

March has the highest sighting rate for Northern Jacana in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.

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