The jacanas (sometimes also referred to as lily trotters) are a distinctive group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. Worldwide, there are eight species of jacana from six genera. Two are endemic to Africa, while the other six are to be found in Madagascar, Asia and Central and South America. The two African species have both been recorded in the Kruger National Park (KNP). These are the African jacana (Actophilornis africanus), which I will refer to here as ‘the jacana’, and the lesser jacana (Microparra capensis) referred to here as ‘the lesser’.
« Dr Ian Whyte is an independent environmental consultant who retired from SANParks in 2007. He was previously engaged in full-time wildlife research in the Kruger National Park from 1970-2007. At the time of retirement, he was responsible for the coordination of all research projects pertaining to
