Celebrate Dads of All Kinds
Wildlife dads have many approaches to parenting—just like human dads. as human dads do! It's true that some head for the hills when mom becomes pregnant, but two parents taking care of babies is common in many mammals such as foxes, wolves, and coyotes. And, among most bird species, males are involved in nearly all aspects of parenting—except, of course, laying the eggs!
Keeping Families Safe
Protecting their mate and young is one of the main responsibilities wildlife dads have.
Fox dads enable moms to stay safe in the den caring for the pups. Dad hunts for and brings food to the den for the whole family. When the pups are ready to leave the den, dad keeps an eye out of them. He protects them from predators until they are ready to be on their own.
Beaver dads help create and maintain the dams and lodges
necessary to shelter and protect their family. Together with the
females, they fell trees, and gather branches and mud to build their
homes. Then, as winter approaches, they collect and apply another layer
of mud on the exterior of the lodge. The mud freezes hard, protecting
the family within from would-be predators.
Owl
dads are known for their strength and endurance in keeping
intruders out of their territory to keep mom and chicks safe. Once the
owl chicks leave the nest, the dads continue to defend them. They
distract predators, drawing them away from their young.
Mourning dove dads begin watching over their young while they're still in their eggs. They take the dawn till late afternoon shift, giving moms a break! If anything happens to the mom, the mourning dove dad stays and raises the young by himself.
Chimney swift dads take turns incubating eggs and brooding their
young through the day. After dark, they share the job with the moms,
keeping the eggs or young extra safe and warm.
Woodpecker dads typically share daytime egg sitting duties with mom. Unlike most other birds, they also take the night shift completely until the young are ready to leave the nest.
