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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Jacanidae
  4. ›
  5. Irediparra
  6. ›
  7. Comb-crested Jacana
Comb-crested Jacana
Photo · (c) Romain Boisseau, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

BirdUp · Species

Comb-crested Jacana

Irediparra gallinacea(Temminck, 1828)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
CHARADRIIFORMES
Family
Jacanidae
Genus
Irediparra

At a glance

The Comb-crested Jacana is a medium-sized bird, about 20–27 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
20–27 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Comb-crested Jacana look like?

The Comb-crested Jacana is a medium-sized bird, about 20–27 cm long and weighing 70–168 g.

The comb-crested jacana, also known as the lotusbird or lilytrotter, is the only species of jacana in the genus Irediparra. Like other jacana species, it is adapted to the floating vegetation of tropical freshwater wetlands.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
20–27 cm
Weight
70–168 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Comb-crested Jacana?

The Comb-crested Jacana is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Comb-crested Jacana eat?

The Comb-crested Jacana feeds on seeds, terrestrial invertebrates and fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Comb-crested Jacana live in Australia?

The Comb-crested Jacana is native to Australia, recorded across 37 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingInland south-east Borneo, Sulawesi, Lesser Sundas and Mindanao (south Philippines) to New Guinea and some satellites, and north-east WA to south-central NSW (north and east Australia)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Non-breeding
  • Vagrant

7 regions recorded