African jacana | |
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Lake Baringo, Kenya | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Charadriiformes |
Family: | Jacanidae |
Genus: | Actophilornis |
Species: | A. africanus
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Binomial name | |
Actophilornis africanus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
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The African jacana (Actophilornis africanus) is a wader in the family Jacanidae. It has long toes and long claws that enables 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.