them to food. The male will brood the chicks for many weeks. As the chicks get bigger, fewer can fit under the male's wing. Females may brood chicks when the male is away. Territorial defense for both males and females increase when the chicks are born. Males are intolerant of intruders in their territory and make calls to the female for help for predator defense. Females respond to every call the male makes and invest much interest in the safety of the chicks, despite having little interaction with them. The females provide the males with a new clutch when the chicks are 12–16 weeks old. Predation Predators of the jacana include snakes, caimans, snapping turtles and various large birds and mammals. Vocalizations Vocalizations among jacanas usually occur between mating pairs or between fathers and their young. Jacanas will emit "clustered-note calls", which are made of individual notes clustered together, when jacanas attack intruders in their territories. Jacanas also made calls when eggs or chicks are under threat by predators. The notes and their pattern depend on the urgency of the threat. Calls are also made on flight, when a female is away from the territory too long or if a male cannot find a chick. Status Northern jacanas appear to be common throughout most of their range, but could become vulnerable with loss of wetlands. References Shorebirds by Hayman, Marchant and Prater northern jacana Birds of the Caribbean Birds of Hispaniola Birds of the Dominican Republic Birds of Central America northern jacana northern jacana