Indian Bronze Winged Jacana Royalty-Free Stock Photo

The bronze-winged jacana is a wader in the family Jacanidae. Like other jacanas it forages on lilies and other floating aquatic vegetation, the long feet spreading out its weight and preventing sinking. It is found across South and Southeast Asia and is the sole species in the genus Metopidius. The sexes are alike but females are slightly larger and polyandrous, maintaining harems of males during the breeding season, in the monsoon rains. Males maintain territories, with one male in the harem chosen to incubate the eggs and take care of the young. When threatened, young chicks may be held and carried under his wings to safety by the male.