Bronze-winged Jacana (adult, juveniles)

Description:

The Bronze-winged Jacana is the only member of the genus Metopidius. It has big feet and claws which enables it to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. Adults have white supercilium. Male (first photo) is brighter with an almost peacock blue body and bronze coloured wings. Juveniles have orange-buff wash on breast and yellowish bill,

Habitat:

We were driving to Chandannagar, an erstwhile French colony 22.8700° N, 88.3800° E near Kolkata, West Bengal. The highway which is being broadened is flanked by marshy land with bullrushes and also water bodies covered with water hyacinth. In another year all this will be gone...these birds too. But meanwhile ignorance is bliss and they forage and raise their young.