African Jacana Chicks Survival Skills Boosted by Their Tiny Feet; Film Featured Life of the Bird in Wild

Stunning video captures an awe-inspiring bird species, where its offspring hatch with huge feet and an exceptional talent for evading danger. The video, obtained from National Geographic's Super/Natural documentary series, showcases a group of recently hatched juvenile African jacana birds.

These remarkable wading birds can be found in a vast region of sub-Saharan Africa and are distinguished by their lengthy toes and claws. These adaptations allow them to navigate effectively on floating vegetation, such as water lilies, in the shallow lakes where they reside. Upon hatching, the chicks are miniature versions of adult birds, with disproportionately large feet. These newly born birds are remarkably skilled and able from the moment they hatch.

Steph Thompson, a producer, and director who worked on the "Bloodlines" episode of the National Geographic documentary series Super/Natural stated that Jacana chicks are truly remarkable as they emerge from their eggs with the ability to walk, swim, and communicate with their father and other chicks, a skill that takes human children several years to develop.

African Jacana Chicks Strong Instincts

Jacana chicks possess the capability to be completely self-sufficient from the moment they hatch, but their strong survival instincts kick in when their father signals danger, causing them to instantly surrender their independence and follow his lead. This behavior can be observed in the video footage. The father of the jacana chicks detects a potential danger, such as a bird of prey, and emits a covert alarm call. Upon hearing the signal, the chicks instantly become still, appearing to act as if they have died. Once the threat has passed, the father moves to retrieve them.

The African jacana has evolved a unique mating system in which one female mate with multiple males. The responsibility of caring for the chicks falls solely on the father, who incubates and raises the young birds. The male has also developed the ability to lift and carry the chicks under his wings.

The outsized feet of both the jacana chicks and adults distribute their weight over a large area, making it an advantageous adaptation for their habitat. According to Thompson, "These huge feet enable them to occupy a very specialized ecological niche. They can walk right into the heart of the lily field and avoid ground predators. In the face of danger from above, they can even use their beaks as snorkels to stay underwater until it passes."

Scientific Discoveries with Filming Techniques

The Super/Natural series is produced by the renowned filmmaker James Cameron and narrated by actor Benedict Cumberbatch. The series employs the latest technology to uncover the secret abilities of some of the world's most remarkable creatures. According to series producer Bill Markham, "Super/Natural explores a world beyond human perception, where animals and plants utilize their hidden strengths and remarkable senses to thrive.

By merging the newest scientific discoveries with advanced filming techniques, cutting-edge visual effects, and captivating storytelling, we can present this parallel universe in a knowledgeable, entertaining, and visually stunning manner."

According to Markham, "We aimed to capture familiar animals exhibiting unfamiliar behaviors and unfamiliar animals engaging in previously unknown actions. We delve into how they perceive different wavelengths of light, listen to sounds that are beyond human hearing range, utilize electromagnetic forces, and communicate in ways that have not been previously understood. The series showcases a diverse range of intriguing animal abilities, from the remarkable sense of smell of polar bears that allows them to locate their seal prey from miles away, to ibexes scaling steep, nearly vertical Alpine cliffs," as reported by Newsweek.

"SuperNatural' Animals

The producers of the series emphasized that filming the documentary was full of surprises, including the story of the remarkable cuckoo catfish. According to Markham, "These small fish are attracted to the mating pheromones of the Burtoni cichlid. As the cichlids begin to lay their eggs, the catfish sneak in and deposit their eggs among the cichlid's clutch. The mother cichlid then ingests all the eggs, and incredibly, she guards and incubates them in her mouth until they hatch."

The producers of Super/Natural said there were many surprises in store for them during the filming of the documentary. They highlight the story of the amazing cuckoo catfish, which are attracted to the mating pheromones of the Burtoni cichlid. When the cichlids start laying their eggs, the catfish lay their eggs among the cichlid's clutch. The mother cichlid then unknowingly incubates all the eggs, including the catfish eggs, in her mouth until they hatch.

The catfish eggs hatch first and eat the baby cichlids, leading the mother cichlid to spit them out. The series also features a small shrimp that defends itself against predators by producing intense light and heat, exceeding 8,540 degrees Fahrenheit, and sound louder than a gunshot, by snapping its pincers rapidly and creating high-velocity pressure bullets through the formation and collapse of underwater cavitation bubbles.

The segment about the caterpillar that is taken underground by ants is particularly interesting, as it highlights the insect's ability to disguise its scent to smell like ant larvae. This allows the caterpillar to trick the ants into thinking it is one of their own, and the ants then care for the caterpillar for two years until it emerges as an adult butterfly. Another fascinating animal featured in the series is a finger-length lizard found in Costa Rica that can use its scuba gear to stay underwater for 18 minutes and escape predators.

Markham mentioned these are just a few examples of the many fascinating animal superpowers showcased in the series. Markham, the series producer, has managed to capture some never-before-filmed events. One of them was the gathering, hatching, and communication of Amazon river turtles. Another first was capturing the behavior of a species of tiny jumping spiders in East Africa that use human blood as a mating attractant. The males are unable to directly obtain blood from humans, so they catch and extract blood from well-fed mosquitoes to get enough for their needs.

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