On almost every boat trip in Uganda, someone asks the same question: “How is that bird walking on the water?” The answer is the African jacana, a beautiful chestnut-and-white wader that seems to stroll across the surface of lakes and swamps. Look closer and it gets even more interesting.
Why it’s called the lily-trotter
The jacana’s secret is its feet. It has extremely long toes and long, straight claws that spread its weight over a wide area, a little like snowshoes. That lets it walk across water lilies, floating grass and other plants that would never hold a bird of its size. It picks insects, snails and other small animals from the leaves and the water’s surface as it goes.
- Size: around 23–31 cm long, with females much heavier than males.
- Look for: a rich chestnut body, white face and throat, black back of the neck, and a pale blue shield on the forehead.
- Young birds: paler and duller, with white underparts.
A role-reversed family life
This is where the jacana stands out. In most birds, males compete for females. African jacanas turn that around.
- The female is in charge. She is larger, defends a territory, and may mate with several males, a system known as polyandry.
- The males do the parenting. Each male looks after his own small territory, incubates the eggs and raises the chicks alone.
- Chicks under the wings. When danger threatens, a male can tuck his chicks under his wings and carry them away, with little legs dangling out underneath. If you see it, you won’t forget it.
The eggs are laid on a flimsy floating nest of plant material, and are glossy and heavily marked, which helps hide them among the vegetation.
Where to see it in Uganda
The African jacana is common across sub-Saharan Africa and listed as Least Concern. In Uganda you’re likely to see it wherever there are calm, vegetated edges to lakes and swamps:
- Mabamba Bay, near Entebbe, where you’ll see them from the canoe while looking for the shoebill.
- Lake Mburo National Park, on the boat trip along the lake’s fringes.
- The Kazinga Channel boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is one of the best bird-watching trips in the country.
- The quieter backwaters of the Nile on a Murchison Falls launch.
Its neighbours on the water
Where you find jacanas, you’ll usually find a whole community of wetland birds. On the same boat trip you might see:
- Long-toed lapwings, which also walk on floating plants and share the jacana’s long toes.
- Malachite and pied kingfishers, the first a tiny jewel on a reed stem, the second hovering over open water.
- Herons and egrets of many kinds, from the huge Goliath heron to the little squacco heron.
- Papyrus specialists such as the papyrus gonolek, a bright red and black bush-shrike found only in papyrus swamps.
Watch the jacanas for a while and you’ll often see them chasing each other off, a reminder of just how seriously they take their territories.
Practical tips
- Check the floating vegetation. Jacanas like water lettuce, lilies and grassy mats near the shore.
- Be patient with chicks. If you see an adult male standing oddly still, watch for tiny chicks nearby.
- Protect your gear. On a canoe or open boat, a dry bag for your camera and phone is useful.
- Morning or late afternoon gives softer light for photos and more activity.
Good to know
Jacanas are easy to add to almost any Uganda safari, because the best places to see them are already on the most popular routes. They’re a lovely reminder that the small, common birds often have the best stories.
Plan it with us
Want to spend more time on the water? We can combine a Mabamba canoe trip, a Lake Mburo boat ride and the Kazinga Channel into one relaxed route. Tell us your dates and we’ll send ideas.
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