There’s only one bird in contention for the title bird with the biggest toes says Stuart Blackman

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Published: Friday, 24 May 2024 at 10:27 AM


The accolade for bird with the biggest toes has to go to Jacanas – a group of tropical wading birds – says Stuart Blackman.

Jacanas possess preposterously long toes relative to body size that spread the birds’ weight, enabling them to walk on floating vegetation, such as lilypads, without sinking.

This talent has earned them the nickname ‘lily trotters’.

Using these oversized appendages, jacanas navigate their wetland home, foraging for aquatic insects, fish and seeds. The disproportionate size of the toes reaches comic extremes in the chicks.

These lengthy – and frankly weird – toes have rightly earned jacanas a place on our weirdest birds in the world list

Jacanas are found in tropical regions all around the world and live in wetlands. They are even able to swim underwater.

Discover more record-breaking birds

Main image: Getty Images