The San Diego Zoo announced Monday that a wattled jacana chick hatched just before Father’s Day and is thriving under the care of its father at the facility’s William E. Cole Family Hummingbird Habitat.
The zoo noted the timing was fitting for the species, which is native to South America. Male wattled jacanas take on all parenting duties after the female lays eggs.
“Male wattled jacanas, aka the super dads of the bird world, are entirely responsible for raising their young,” the zoo said in a statement. “After mom lays her eggs, the male takes over nest-sitting duties until the chicks hatch. From there, dad cares for the little ones for the first 40 to 70 days, tucking them under his wings to protect them from danger and teaching them how to forage.”
The zoo shared video footage of the chick bonding with its father. The chick’s arrival adds to the zoo’s roster of recent animal births, which includes a variety of species.