The legendary phoenix "bathed in fire", the real version of the phoenix "playing in water"

The Jacana is a small to medium-sized bird of the family Jacanidae in the order Charadriiformes, also known as the long-tailed water jacana. Most of them live in freshwater lakes, ponds, and swamps rich in emergent and floating plants, and mainly feed on small invertebrates such as insects and shrimps, and aquatic plants. Because of its slender claws, it can walk lightly on floating leaf plants such as water lilies, lotus flowers, water chestnuts, and water chestnuts, and its graceful body and colorful feathers make it beautifully known as the "Lingbo Fairy".

Jacanas playing

Jacanas are common seasonal migratory birds, with a breeding season from April to September each year. During the breeding season, they will change into black and white breeding feathers, which are very eye-catching, with a golden patch with a black edge on the back of their necks. The winter feathers are relatively dull. Unlike most birds, the female birds are huge, while the male birds are relatively weak, weighing about half of the female birds.

Jacanas are polyandrous. Interestingly, the females are responsible for "opening up the territory" while the males incubate the eggs and feed the birds. During the breeding season, females will fight to occupy the mating territory. After grabbing the territory, the females will wait for the males to arrive. The males that the females like will be allocated a piece of land for breeding and raising their offspring. What's more interesting is that when the number of males in the territory reaches a certain level, the females will expand the area of ​​their "territory". The males in the territory will build nests on the leaves of the cirsium, and the females will lay 4 eggs in the nest, while the males will stay to incubate the eggs. After about 22 to 26 days, the new life will break out of the shell. Generally, half an hour after breaking out of the shell, the chicks can walk and forage on their own, and the males will stay near the chicks to warn and protect them. The chicks can grow into subadults in about 6 weeks, and learn to fly in about 7 weeks. At this time, most Jacanas will fly away to find another habitat.

Jacana "couple"

Affected by the environment and water quality, the distribution range of Jacanas in my country is gradually shrinking, and the population is also decreasing year by year. With the effective management of the Yangtze River, the natural ecology around Nanjing Green Water Bay National Urban Wetland Park in Pukou District is getting better and better, and wild Jacanas that once traveled far away have returned in pairs to reproduce. Bird lovers found that a group of rare Jacanas have settled down in a pond near the park and have the "next generation" - 4 Jacana eggs.

As a key wetland ecosystem indicator species, the arrival of the Jacana reflects a good wetland ecological environment. The earth does not only belong to humans, but also to countless beautiful lives hidden in it. The Jacana is one of them. It is rare and beautiful, and sensitive to the ecological environment. It is everyone's responsibility to protect the Jacana, protect nature, and protect our common earth.

Review expert: Tu Qiang, deputy editor of Ocean Publishing House

China Association for Science and Technology Department of Science Popularization

Xinhuanet

Co-production