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Aditya Roy
02-08-2009, 08:50 AM
Pheasant-tailed Jacana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Jacanidae
Genus: Hydrophasianus
Wagler, 1832
Species: H. chirurgus
Binomial name
Hydrophasianus chirurgus
(Scopoli, 1786)

The Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is a jacana in the monotypic genus Hydrophasianus. Jacanas are a group of waders in the family Jacanidae that are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, their preferred habitat. The Pheasant-tailed Jacana is capable of swimming, although it usually walks on the vegetation. The females are more colourful than the males and are polyandrous.
Jacana is one Linnæus' pseudo-Latin misspelling for the Brazilian Portuguese Jaçanã (from a Tupi name of the same bird) whose pronunciation is approximately [ža.sa.náN].

The Pheasant-tailed Jacana breeds in India, southeast Asia, and Indonesia. It is sedentary in much of its range, but northern breeders from south China and the Himalayas migrate into peninsular India and southeast Asia. It is also resident in Taiwan, where it is considered endangered.

This is the only jacana to have a different breeding plumage. The Pheasant-tailed Jacana is a conspicuous and unmistakable bird. They are around 31 cm long, with the females larger than the males. During the breeding season, the long tail adds another 8 cm. The outermost primaries have a spatulate extension of 2 cm and the seventh primary has a broad protrusion.
Breeding adults are mainly black other than white wings, head, and fore neck. The hind neck is golden. There is a striking white eyestripe. The legs and very long toes are grey.
Non-breeding adults lack the long tail. The underparts are white except for a brown breast band and neck stripe. The side of the neck is golden.
Young birds have brown upperparts. The underparts are white, with a weak brown breast band.
Measurements (From Rasmussen and Anderton): length 310 mm 390-580 mm (breeding) Wing (with extension of primary) 190-244 mm (adults) 168-228 mm (juveniles) Bill 23-30 mm Tarsus 45-58 mm Tail 194-376 mm (breeding) 110-117 mm (non breeding)

These jacanas breed on floating vegetation from March to July. In southern India, it breeds in the monsoon season, June-September. They are polyandrous and a female may lay up to 10 clutches. Four black-marked brown eggs are laid in the floating nests.

The Pheasant-tailed Jacana's main sources of food are insects and other invertebrates picked from the floating vegetation or the water's surface.
Their call is a mewing me-onp and a nasal teeun


Exif:
Date: 2009/08/01 08:07:26
Camera: Nikon D40
Lens: 70-300mm F/4-5.6G
Focal Length: 300mm
Focus Mode: AF-A
AF-Area Mode: Dynamic
Aperture: F/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/500s
Exposure Mode: Shutter Priority
Exposure Comp.: 0EV
Metering Mode: Spot
Sensitivity: Auto (ISO 720)
White Balance: Cloudy, 0
Color Space: sRGB
Color Mode: Mode IIIa (sRGB)
Sharpening: Medium high

Rajan Kanagasabai
02-08-2009, 12:45 PM
Nice image and wonderful notes Aditya. TFS

regards
Rajan

Sabyasachi Patra
02-08-2009, 12:52 PM
The Pheasant tailed Jacana has a long and impressive tail but it attracts females by its courting call.

According to Salim Ali:
Field Characters: In breeding dress, identified in flight by the large amount of white and chocolate-brown in plumage, and the pointed downcurved tail. Non-breeding birds chiefly pale brown and white, with a black `necklace' on upper breast and minus the sickle-shaped `pheasant' tail. Spidery elongated toes as in Bronzewinged Jacana. Sexes alike.

Bibhav Behera
02-08-2009, 03:24 PM
good image. i would brighten it up a bit.

AB Apana
03-08-2009, 09:58 AM
Good job on the whites, a nice image overall.

Apana