For Father's Day this Sunday, we thought we would give out some Bird Dad awards to our local bird species!
The overall Father of the Year award goes to the Sandhill Crane! Male Sandhill Cranes help with nest-building, incubation, and feeding of young. They also stay with their families through fall migration, over winter, and at the beginning of spring migration.
Best DIY-er goes to the House Wren, who is so into building things that he will start building several nests at once in several different places so his mate can choose the one she likes best for their eggs.
Northern Flickers win Most Dedicated Dad due to their huge involvement in all aspects of chick rearing - they do most of the nest hole excavation, spend the most
time incubating their eggs and also help the female with feeding demands!
At the bottom of the list is the embarrassing Biggest Slacker Dad award, which goes to the Hummingbird (all species). These unhelpful males put a ton of effort into courting a female, performing spectacular dives and displays to win her over. After the subsequent "fun", however, the males conveniently disappear and leave the female to build a nest, incubate her eggs, and feed the chicks all by herself.
Whether they are good dads or not, birds are fascinating animals! If you can't tell a sparrow from a seagull but want to learn, check out our Beginner Birding Webinar Series to get you started in the popular hobby of birding: https://www.osstewardship.ca/birding101
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