African Jacana
Actophilornis africanus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyJacanidae (Jacanas)
- GenusActophilornis (African and Madagascar Jacanas)
- SpeciesActophilornis africanus (African Jacana)
The African jacana (Actophilornis africanus) is a wader in the family Jacanidae. It has long toes and long claws that enable it to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, its preferred habitat. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. For the origin and pronunciation of the name, see Jacanidae. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a African Jacana sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Table Mountain National Park
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Hartlaub's Gull
Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
African Black Oystercatcher
Haematopus moquini
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Spotted Thick-knee
Burhinus capensis
Upland Sandpiper
Bartramia longicauda
Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Snowy Sheathbill
Chionis albus
Greater Painted-Snipe
Rostratula benghalensis
📅 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 African Jacana in Table Mountain National Park?
About 0% of wildlife watchers report a African Jacana sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Jacana in Table Mountain National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for African Jacana in Table Mountain National Park in our monthly data.