Paternal Care
When the father animal takes care of the eggs or babies instead of the mother.
What is it?
Paternal care is when the male parent looks after the offspring. In the Elegant Crested Tinamou, the male sits on the eggs to incubate them and then cares for the chicks. This is rare among birds—most bird mothers do the incubating. Other animals with paternal care include seahorses (the male carries the eggs) and some frogs.
Why it matters
Paternal care shows that in nature, different parents can take on different roles. It helps us understand how animals evolve different strategies to raise their young.
Where you've seen it
This list grows as you capture more exhibits about paternal care.
