Speedy Re-visited

African Jacana Actophilornis africanus

In an earlier post entitled “Speedy!”, I related the curious behaviour of the jacanas with respect to the raising of the young, viz., the fact that the male assumes this duty and the responsibility to protect the young against all dangers. The male African jacana has therefore evolved some remarkable adaptations for parental care, such as the ability to pick up and carry chicks underneath its wings.

In this image, a father can be seen doing exactly that!

This image was captured on the Chobe River, near Kasane, northern Botswana, Southern Africa.