Comb-crested jacana and sacred lotus Jacanas are ungainly looking birds with enormous feet. Their very long toes allow them to nimbly navigate their way over water by walking on lily pads or other floating vegetation. They occupy tropical and subtropical freshwater wetlands where there is adequate surface vegetation for them to walk on. They rarely come to shore, feeding on aquatic insects, seeds and plants. The male of the species is responsible for incubating the eggs and caring for the young. If they are threatened, he will pick the chicks up under his wings and transport them to safety, their huge feet dangling. The chicks, however, quickly develop independence and leave their male parent’s protection. Sacred lotus are water plants native to the tropical north of Australia. With huge pink flowers and large pad shaped leaves, they stretch over billabongs and wetlands where they can get their roots into the mud. If conditions are unfavourable for germination, the seeds can remain dormant in the ground for hundreds of years, waiting for better conditions to regenerate.
