This is scientific American 60 second science. I'm Sabrina Embler. Got a minute?

To our knowledge, there's no correlation between a man singing ability and his care and

attentiveness as a father. But any Pavarotti among the Nightingales will serenate his mate

while she sits on her eggs.

And after they hatch, he will visit the nest about 16 times each hour to feed their offspring,

because among Nightingales at least, the best singers also make the best fathers.

So finds a study in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology.

Some 80% of birds practice biparental care, meaning both the male and female rear their offspring together.

So it's crucial for a female bird to pick as a mate the most promising father, both genetically

and behaviorally. Female birds look for signs of fitness that range from the flamboyant plumage of the peacock to the bizarre mating dances of birds of paradise.

And for Nightingales, it's the most elaborate song that apparently wins the day.

The average male has some 180 tunes in his repertoire.

These avian sonatras vocalize highly variable song types including buzzes whistles and trills and

and such virtuoso singing seems to signal the female that this is the guy she can count on.

That is, when it's time to help raise the kids, he's not a flight risk.

Thanks for the minute.

For Scientific American 60 Second Science, I'm Sabrina Imbler.