CreatureData

Lesser jacana

Microparra capensis (A. Smith, 1839)

LCLeast Concernbirds

The lesser jacana (Microparra capensis) is a species in the family Jacanidae, order Charadriiformes. Recorded adults weigh about 41.3 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Lesser jacana (Microparra capensis)
Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the lesser jacana

Weight
41.3 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Aquatic predatorsrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
wetlandsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
23 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
3src for Young per litter or clutch
Litters or clutches a year
1.5src for Litters or clutches a year
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Partialsrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the lesser jacana live?

Not recorded

What is the lesser jacana?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The lesser jacana (Microparra capensis) is a wader in the family Jacanidae and can be found in Africa. It can be recognized by its long legs and claws that allow it to walk on aquatic vegetation – although it is not to be confused with the larger African Jacana. The lesser jacana is insectivorous. Its conservation status is of least concern.

The name jacana is derived from a Tupi name of the bird, ñaha'nã.

From the Wikipedia article “Lesser jacana” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lesser_jacana&oldid=1373657184), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the lesser jacana endangered?

The lesser jacana is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the lesser jacana classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderCharadriiformes
  5. familyJacanidae
  6. genusMicroparra
  7. SpeciesMicroparra capensis (A. Smith, 1839)

Synonyms Parra capensis

Other names and names in other languages (30)
  • LEJAEnglish
  • DwerglangtoonAfrikaans
  • يقنة صغيرةArabic
  • jacana menutCatalan
  • ostnák malýCzech
  • jasana bachWelsh
  • BladhøneDanish
  • ZwergblatthühnchenGerman
  • eta jakanoEsperanto
  • Jacana chicaSpanish
  • pisi-lootoselindEstonian
  • pikkujassanaFinnish
  • Jacana nainFrench
  • törpelevéljáróHungarian
  • Jacana minoreItalian
  • ヒメレンカクJapanese
  • mažoji žakanaLithuanian
  • DwergjacanaDutch
  • dvergbladhøneNorwegian
  • długoszpon małyPolish
  • jaçanã-pequenaPortuguese
  • Малая яканаRussian
  • jakana vrabčiaSlovak
  • Mala jakanaSerbian
  • DvärgjaçanaSwedish
  • dvärgjassanaSwedish
  • Küçük JakanaTurkish
  • якана малаUkrainian
  • 小雉鴴Chinese
  • 小雉鸻Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the lesser jacana

Other species in the same family Jacanidae.

CompareLesser jacana vs Pheasant-tailed jacanaLesser jacana vs African jacanaLesser jacana vs Bronze-winged jacanaLesser jacana vs Wattled jacana

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the lesser jacana?

An adult lesser jacana weighs 41.3 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the lesser jacana endangered?

The lesser jacana is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the lesser jacana?

The lesser jacana (Microparra capensis) belongs to the family Jacanidae in the order Charadriiformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Lesser jacana (Microparra capensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/lesser-jacana

MLA

“Lesser jacana (Microparra capensis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/lesser-jacana.

BibTeX
@misc{lesser_jacana_2026,
  title = {Lesser jacana (Microparra capensis)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/lesser-jacana},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}