The Waterfowl species of Loktak Ramsar in Manipur (IBA)
- Bronze-winged Jacana, Metopidius indicus, (Thamnachenbi) -

By:- R.K. Birjit Singh *

The Bronze-Winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus) locally known as Thamnachenbi (Running on lotus leaves) is somewhat like a water moorhen even though the size is smaller. It is the only member of the genus Metopidius. The jacanas are a group of waders in the family Charadriidae, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. It has a glossy black head, neck and breast with metallic greenish bronze back and wings thereby the name, “Bronze-Winged Jacana”. A broad white strip runs behind the eye to nape. The tail is red stub with chestnut colour. The sexes of the species are alike. These species are conspicuous and unmistakable birds. They are 29 cm long, but the females are larger than the males. Young birds have brown upperparts. Their under parts are white, with a buff for neck. They habitat on floating vegetations of pond, wetland and other water bodies singly or gregariously.

Distribution:

Your browser may not support display of this image. The species spreads over the entire Indian subcontinent, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The bird is not seen exceptionally in the state of Rajasthan. It can be seen in many parts of Loktak and its associated wetlands like Ikok-pat, Waithou-pat, Pumlen-pat, Sanapat, Takmu and at Tangjeng etc. Though the presence of the birds has been noticed and recorded in most of the parts of the associated wetlands of Loktak, their number has been drastically reduced during the last two decades.

Habit:

A typical rail in flight also swims and dives well on occasion. The bird becomes tame and fearless if not disturbed and unmolested. It is sedentary apart from seasonal dispersion. When forced they sometimes choose to hide by submerging themselves.

Food of the bird:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Jacanidae
Genus: Metopidius; Wagler, 1832
Species: M. indicus; Metopidius indicus(Latham, 1790

The food of the species consists of vegetable matters, shoots , roots and seeds of the aquatic plants. It also feeds on insects and other invertebrates picked from the floating vegetation or the water's surface including mollusks.

Call:

A short harsh grunt also a wheezy piping “seek-seek-seek” given mostly in alarm. The species becomes very noisy during breeding season.

Breeding and Nesting season:

The nesting and breading season of the bird is during the months of June to September in Loktak. Pairs nest in a large pad of interwoven twisted weeds, floating biomass (Phumdi) and floating leaves often partially or submerged plants. The female species is polyandrous and lays glossy, bronze-brown 4 eggs with irregular networks of blackish scrawls.

Global status of conservation and local concerns:

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has given the status of Least Concern of the species but the trend of declination of the species continues in an unprecedented way as never before globally. The depletion of the population of this water bird is more alarming in Loktak than in any other parts of the Indian sub-continent. The major threat to these species in Loktak Ramsar is depletion of floating floras like Nelumbo, Trapa and other species.