161 : Bronze-winged Jacana

Bronze-winged Jacana - Metopidius indicus

On the big bridge again near Bangalore and I decided to walk across and have a look on the other side. I found this handsome Jacana with chicks carefully picking a trail through the floating vegetation. I have decided I like Jacanas - they are going up there with Barbets as a firm Crossley favourite.

When I get to 200 (or 300 if thats what happens after Tanzania) I will have a retrospective and try and pick a top 20 I think. It gets harder - but I think a Jacana is going to make the cut. For a good description of the social lives of these birds see here. This is the male bird of course - who else would take such good care of the chicks ! 6 more species of Jacana to go for a Jacana flush. They are also known as 'Jesus Birds' or 'Lily Trotters'. To get the full set we need Lesser, African, Comb-Crested, Wattled, Madgascan (oh yes please Lemurs !) and Northern. These are tropical birds in the main - Wattled and Northern require a trip to South and Central America, Comb-Crested to Borneo or North Australia, Madagascan and African are self evident - Lesser again I can pick up in Africa and specifically Tanzania. This time next month we could have 50% of the world's Jacannas in the camera bag.

I haven't thought past Tanzania for what the next trip might be as a dash - Burma was one idea or more of India - Ethiopia could be doable - I think Northern India - The Corbett National Park perhaps. Its a long way from Northern Australia to Africa to South America to polish off the Jacannas. I think I got two of the smartest species on the big Bangalore Bonanza. Look at that glossy plumage - the bronze wing yes but the irridescent green moving to purple neck with a dashing bright white supercilium. You really are a handsome bird. If you are a cousin to the gulls I could almost forgive them. Somewhere a long way back a bird nothing like either a Jacana or a Gull had some offspring and that line went on to become these beautiful birds whereas the rest of the line developed into the world's gulls. Isn't evolution amazing.

Bronze-winged Jacanna, Metopidius indicus
Karnataka, India - the Big Bridge (somewhere !)
25 May 2012.