This is Bird Note.

It's Father's Day, so let's take a look at avian fatherhood.

After his initial involvement, the male hummingbird has nothing more to do with the family.

In fact, the female may move away from his

territory because he can be so aggressive. Then there's the Peregrine Falcon Father, which

shares family duties almost equally with the mother. He helps incubate the eggs, and after the young hatch, he brings food for the entire family for three weeks.

When the young peregrins fledge, Dad is right there with mom, coaxing them to fly and teaching them to hunt on the wing.

But the emu of Australia, that's the drum-like sound you're hearing.

Now there's a father. The male emu makes the nest. The female lays her eggs, but then

abandons the male, to begin again elsewhere.

The male remains on the eggs for nearly two months, eating and drinking almost nothing,

never leaving the nest for any reason.

And the father may stay with the young emus for up to two years.

Bird note wishes a happy day to all the fathers out there, feathered and otherwise.

For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.