 the northern jacana or northern jaÃ§ana (jacana spinosa) is a wader which is a resident breeder from coastal mexico to western panama, and on cuba, jamaica and hispaniola. it sometimes breeds in texas, usa, and has also been recorded on several occasions as a vagrant in arizona . the jacanas are a group of wetland birds, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. they are found worldwide within the tropical zone. in jamaica this bird is also known as the 'jesus bird', as it appears to walk on water.great adventures, saint elizabeth, jamaica jacana is linnÃ¦us' scientific latin spelling of the brazilian portuguese jaÃ§anÃ£, pronounced , from the tupi name of the bird. see jacana for pronunciations. ==description== the northern jacana has a dark brown body with a black head and neck. in addition its bill has yellow patches and its forehead has a wattle.janzen, d.h., ed. (1983). costa rican natural history. chicago and london, u chicago press. its bill has a white base. when a jacana is in flight, its yellow primary and secondary feathers are visible. juveniles have a white supercilium and white lores. the female jacana is around twice as big as the male, averaging (145.4g) compared to (86.9g).jenni, d.a. and collier, g. (1972). "polyandry in the american jacana (jacana spinosa)." the auk 89:743-765. jacanas average 241&nbsp;mm in length with a wingspan averaging 508&nbsp;mm.  ==behavior and ecology== thumb|250px|left|northern jacana foraging at tortuguero, costa rica the northern jacana ranges mexico to panama, although they occasionally visit the southern united states.kaufman, k. 1996. lives of north american birds. boston, newyork: houghton mifflin company. it mainly lives in coastal areas. jacanas live on floating vegetation in swamps, marshes, and ponds. they will feed on insects on the surface of vegetat
Animals_described_in_1758 Birds_of_Central_America Birds_of_Mexico Birds_of_Panama Birds_of_the_Caribbean Birds_of_the_United_States IUCN_Red_List_least_concern_species Jacanidae