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Polyandrous Bird Moms
Female jacanas mate with multiple males, then leave each male to incubate and raise the chicks alone while she defends territory and finds more mates.
Jacana
Jacanidae
These tropical waterbirds have completely reversed traditional sex roles — females are larger and maintain harems of males.
Vital Stats
🏷️ TypeWading bird (shorebird)
🌍 Found InTropical wetlands worldwide — lily pads, floating vegetation
📏 Size15-31cm, 40-260g (females larger)
⏳ Lifespan6-10 years
🔞 Sexual Maturity1-2 years
💕 Mating SystemPolyandrous — females mate with multiple males, each incubates own clutch
📅 Mating SeasonRainy season (varies by region)
🤰 GestationMales incubate eggs for 22-28 days
👶 Offspring3-4 eggs per clutch; multiple clutches with different males
🍆 Penis Size1 cm
⏱️ Sex Duration5 seconds
🔬 Notable AnatomyComplete sex role reversal — females are larger, more aggressive, and defend territories; males do all parenting
⚖️ Sexual DimorphismFemales up to 2x heavier than males