While some bird dads contribute only their genes to their offspring (looking at you, hummingbirds), many bird fathers make significant contributions to raising the next generation. Whether its establishing and patrolling a territory, building or defending a nest, incubating eggs or feeding a nest-bound mate, or shuttling insects to hungry nestlings, their varied contributions are species-specific, and can have profound impacts on their nest success.
Chick survival also depends on keeping hatchlings warm until their own insulating feathers grow in. That’s why many birds brood their young, keeping them close to their own warm bodies and under the protection of their wings. To better understand the drivers behind brooding behavior, researchers reviewed over 62,000 hours of nest cam recordings. In addition to noting that the behavior varied extensively between species, they found that brooding effort was greater in species where males shared the task with their mates. Since brooding is a time and energy absorbing task, sharing the responsibility allows chicks to receive more parental warming time to help them survive.