Comb-crested Jacana

1. Bright pinkish-red fleshy comb on the forehead in adults (absent or rudimentary in juveniles)

2. Exceptionally long toes and legs for walking on floating vegetation

3. Females are significantly larger than males, but plumage is similar

This species is an active forager, feeding mainly on insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and seeds picked from the surface of floating plants or water. The Comb-crested Jacana is polyandrous, with females mating with multiple males, each of whom builds a floating nest, incubates the eggs, and raises the chicks. Males use their wings to carry chicks to safety if threatened. Breeding can occur year-round when conditions are suitable, with clutches of three to four eggs incubated for about 28 days. Chicks are highly developed at hatching and can swim or dive for cover almost immediately.

Comb-crested Jacanas inhabit freshwater wetlands with abundant floating vegetation, such as lagoons, billabongs, swamps, lakes, and slow-moving rivers across northern and eastern Australia, from the Kimberleys and Top End through Queensland to around Grafton, NSW. They are most common in the north and are rarely seen on dry land. Birds may disperse to new wetlands during the wet season or in response to habitat changes.