The comb-crested jacana ( Irediparra gallinacea), also known as the lotusbird or lilytrotter (though these names are sometimes used to describe Jacanidae as a whole), is the only species of Jacanidae in the genus Irediparra. Like other jacana species, it is adapted to the floating vegetation of tropical freshwater wetlands.
Description
This species is unmistakable. It has a black crown and hindneck with a fleshy red wattle covering the forehead and forecrown, contrasting with a white face and throat. The comb is pinker in breeding adults, more orange when not breeding.
There is a broad black band on the lower breast with white belly. The underwing and flight feathers, which show most prominently in flight, are black. Back and upperwing mainly grey-brown with black primary coverts, rump and tail. The long legs with extremely long toes trail in flight. The male is slightly smaller than the female and measures in length and weighs . The female measures in length and weighs .
[ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), .] The wingspan ranges from .
Comb-crested jacana (Irediparra gallinacea novaehollandiae) chick Kakadu.jpg|Chick
Comb-crested jacana (Irediparra gallinacea novaehollandiae) juvenile Kakadu.jpg|Juvenile
Comb-crested jacana (Irediparra gallinacea novaehollandiae) Fogg Dam 2.jpg|Adult
Distribution and habitat
The bird occurs in south-eastern
Borneo, the southern
Philippines,
Sulawesi,
Moluccas, Lesser Sunda Islands, north and south-east
New Guinea,
New Britain (Lake Lalili), and northern and eastern
Australia. Its habitat are large freshwater
, swamps and lakes with abundant floating vegetation, such as
Nymphaeaceae or
water hyacinth, forming a mat on the water surface which it is able to walk on. Although the species is rare and localised it is not globally threatened.
Behaviour
General behaviour
The comb-crested jacana walks slowly and deliberately. It often congregates in flocks. When disturbed, it flies low over water and lands again on open vegetation.
Breeding
The comb-crested jacana is polyandrous.
It builds a flimsy nest on floating or emergent vegetation, in which the female lays four lustrous, pale brown eggs covered by black markings. Only males incubate.
[ The young hatch precocial and nidifugous.
]
Feeding
It eats seeds and aquatic gleaned from floating vegetation on the water surface.
Voice
This species gives a squeaky, high-pitched chittering, also described as a shrill trill with an explosive soft bugle.
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BirdLife International. (2006). Species factsheet: Irediparra gallinacea
on 10 February 2007
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Marchant, S.; Higgins, P.J.; & Davies, J.N. (eds). (1994). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 2: Raptors to Lapwings. Oxford University Press: Melbourne.
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National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. (1987). The Shorebirds of Australia. Angus & Robertson: Sydney.
