JACANAS AND BLACK CRANES
These fairly small, highly attractive birds are found along most of the rivers, quietly strutting about the shallows with long jerky strides. Where floating vegetation occurs, they confidently bounce around on the lily-pads or knotted masses of reeds, using their extraordinarily long toes as a wide platform for support. Most of their time is spent in a continuous search for insects, snails, tadpoles, and such tasty bits of vegetation as seeds. Occasionally they will suddenly take to the air and with rapid wing-beats and a final graceful glide skim low over the water to feed at another site.
The African Jacana (Actophilornis africanus) is one of the most beautiful of our birds associated with water. The greater part of the body is covered with reddish-brown feathers while the under-surface of the neck has a very appealing yellowy-orange patch. Long, stilt-like legs with elongate toes raise the body well above the surface of the water so that the bird can see better and move more easily.
The Black Crake (Amaurornis flavirostris) is even more striking in its strongly contrasting colours. With a pitch-black body, the bright yellow beak and crimson legs are admirably distinctive. They are shyer than jacanas and usually remain close to the reed-fringed edges of the river, where they will quickly disappear into the shadows when frightened.
