One of the most characteristic and unmistakable birds of the Iberá. Bright reddish-chestnut plumage on the body with a black head, neck and breast, and yellowish-green flight feathers tipped brown. The frontal shield is bright red above the bright yellow bill. Its most striking feature is its toes: enormous, with long straight claws that spread its weight to the extreme, allowing it to walk over the floating leaves of giant water lilies and water hyacinths just 1 cm thick. It measures 23 to 28 cm.
Behaviour
Reversed matriarchy: the female holds a territory with several males who incubate the eggs and care for the chicks. When there is danger, the male may tuck the chicks under his wings to carry them off, their little legs dangling visibly. An omnivore of the water hyacinth beds.
How and when to see it
Year round. Very easy to see on any water hyacinth bed from the boats. One of the most photographed birds in the Iberá.
Where to see it in the Iberá
The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where wattled jacana has confirmed presence:
Tours to see it
Verified providers operating at the gateways where wattled jacana lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.
- Esteros Ñe’é
Experiences with local storytelling and a cultural take on the marshes.★ 5.0 - Gaucho Argentino
Horseback journeys across a network of refuges in Iberá. Multi-day rides with overnight…★ 5.0 - Irupé Excursiones
Guided hiking. Guided visit to museums, historic sites, chapels and trails of the town…★ 5.0 - Reserva Estero Camba Trapo
Private nature reserve of Ecoposada del Estero, on the Camba Trapo road. One of the…★ 5.0
Species profile
- Common nameWattled Jacana
- Scientific nameJacana jacana
- GroupBird
- StatusNative
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