THE ELEGANT LILY-TROTTER!

  ‘Jacana Bird’ photo by Chris Eason CC BY 2.0.

The African Jacana bird, (See photo above), is nicknamed, ‘The Elegant Lily-Trotter’ and the ‘Jesus Bird’ because it is indeed ‘elegant’ and spends most of its time walking on lily pads and floating plants which gives it the appearance of ‘walking on water’, just like Jesus!  ‘Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I.  Don’t be afraid.” 
Matthew 14:25-27.

They can ‘walk on water’ because they have feet with a massive surface area like ‘built in snowshoes’ that span 6-9 inches wide!  This foot span is as long or longer than the length of their body!  ‘My what big feet you have, grandma!’

These water lilies and floating vegetation grow in swamps, shallow lakes, marshes, lagoons and flood plains across much of Sub-Saharan Africa.  And that’s where you will find the Jacana. It feeds on aquatic insects, larvae, worms and snails found on and around floating vegetation.

These birds are also great swimmers.  If they are threatened, they dive under water with only the end of their bill showing above water so they can still breathe!  Clever birds!

The male bird builds the nest on these floating islands and cares for the chicks!  If a predator shows up, daddy bird will pick up the chicks and place them under its wings, two per wing, and carry them to a safe place.
(See photo on the right.)  The extra pairs of legs belong to the baby chicks!!!
 I wondered if King David saw this behavior in birds, because he wrote in Psalm 91, ‘He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge.’  He is saying that like the bird, God will protect you!  He adds ‘His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.’  Psalm 91:4-7.
We say, ‘Abba Father’ He will protect us by hiding us under His wings, like the Jacana,  carrying us to a safe place! 

The above photo is courtesy of ‘1000 Hours Outside’ from a post entitled, ‘Jacana Bird Carrying Its Babies’.

If you want to see the African Jacana Bird protecting its babies under its wings, click on the following link: https://youtube.com/shorts/qUjv7e2BG-U?si=StaKnrP-xmv2YFjh