Scientific name:
Jacana jacana
(Linnaeus 1766 ‘Parra Jacana’ [sic])
Jacana – Portuguese Jaçanã derived from Tupi language of Brazilian indigenous tribes y-acã-nã (soft c) meaning ‘that which has a loud voice’.
Jacana – As above.
Wattled Jacana Fact File
Distribution: Widespread in South America
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Subspecies: Six
• J. j. hypomelaena (G. R. Gray 1846) Greek; hupomelaino to be blackish – West-central Panama to northern Colombia.
• J. j. melanopygia (P. L. Sclater 1857) Greek; melas black; –pugios -rumped (puge rump) – Western Colombia to western Venezuela.
• J. j. intermedia (P. L. Sclater 1857) Latin; intermedius intermediate – Northern and central Venezuela.
• J. j. jacana (Linnaeus 1766) Portuguese; Jaçanã derived from Tupi language of Brazilian indigenous tribes y-acã-nã (soft c) meaning ‘that which has a loud voice’ – Trinidad, southern Colombia and southern Venezuela to the Guianas south to eastern Bolivia, northern Argentina and Uruguay
• J. j. scapularis (Chapman 1922) Late Latin;scapula shoulder – Western Ecuador, north-western Peru.
• J. j. peruviana (Zimmer 1930) Peruvian – North-eastern Peru, north-western Brazil.
Further Reading: The World’s Wattled Waders
Current conservation efforts
None
Gallery
With thanks to the following photographers: Elis Simpson; Phillip Edwards.