African Jacana
Actophilornis africanus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyJacanidae (Jacanas)
- GenusActophilornis (African and Madagascar Jacanas)
- SpeciesActophilornis africanus (African Jacana)
The African jacana (Actophilornis africanus) is a wader in the family Jacanidae. It has long toes and long claws that enable it to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, its preferred habitat. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. For the origin and pronunciation of the name, see Jacanidae. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a African Jacana sighting in Arusha National Park, based on 125 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Arusha National Park
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Ruff
Calidris pugnax
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Little Stint
Calidris minuta
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Pied Avocet
Recurvirostra avosetta
Spur-winged Lapwing
Vanellus spinosus
Marsh Sandpiper
Tringa stagnatilis
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
Crowned Lapwing
Vanellus coronatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a African Jacana in Arusha National Park?
About 23% of wildlife watchers report a African Jacana sighting in Arusha National Park, based on 125 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Jacana in Arusha National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for African Jacana in Arusha National Park in our monthly data.