What common food item, indicating a willingness to tackle hard-shelled prey, is mentioned in the Jacana's diet summary?
Answer
Snails.
While the primary components of the Wattled Jacana's diet are softer invertebrates like insects and spiders, along with soft plant seeds, the summary notes a specific exception that demonstrates their opportunistic feeding nature. They are known to consume snails. Snails represent a larger, hard-shelled prey item compared to typical larvae or spiders found on leaf surfaces. The consumption of snails implies that the bird possesses the ability or inclination to process prey that requires more effort to subdue or consume, suggesting that if the caloric reward is high enough, they will tackle food sources that are significantly tougher than their usual, easily grasped fare.
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