Depending on how old they are, the males are usually much bigger, have a lot more coloring (females are more drab looking) and the calls are different, during mating season, the females make a scratchy call, and the males make the gobble noise. Someone else might be able to give you a better answer though.

Tim, it is entirely possible that he is still around. I hope so anyway...however mom is full capable of raising the nestlings on her own too. Helping her with mealworms would be good though. One year during incubation I had a male go missing for four full days..he returned on the 5th day. During that time I had trained the female to come to a mealworm feeder. After he returned she taught him how to use it. Then another year on a nestbox check I found a dead nestling. This box was at the back of our property so I couldn't observe things as much. After watching for awhile I was convinced the female was gone so I started feeding mealworms twice a day. I would put a dish on the roof of the nestbox and Dad would use them up immediately and then I would take the dish back home, didn't want to leave it and entice any other birds. Well after a couple days there was mom getting mealworms too! So she was there, I just was never seeing her when I watched. This year just last week, my male went mia for half a day and I was freaking out. Mom is incubating 7 eggs and their were four fledglings still needing to be fed. Mom seemed rather stressed too. I watched all morning and was convinced something happened to him but just after noon he returned and then started feeding the fledglings again. This box is in the back yard very visable from the house and they come to a mealworm feeder on the deck so I knew he wasn't here for that time, just mom and the fledglings were. Later that day I saw another female in the yard wingwaving with our male! I have read that males and females will mate with more than just their partner during nesting season so I am assuming my yard male was out on a fling that morning. I do know when my female was laying her second clutch there was another male around too, I am guessing she mated with both him and her normal mate. Anyway..hopefully this is what you are seeing and he isn't really gone. It does happen though sadly...hope you see him again! If not your female will probably find another mate but he wouldn't help her with these nestlings at all. Keep us updated! Donna

How precious. I know all of us who have this "dish-ese" want to know that our "stuff" will be passed down to someone who will treasure it as much as we do. My daughter only has 2 sons. No daughters. One day last week we were all sitting around and DH was teasing me about how he was going to be able to live VERY comfortably with all of the money he will have after I die and he sells all of my "treasures"! My 11 year old VERY macho,fishing and hunting crazy grandson turned and looked up into my china cabinet and said,"Papa, you can't sell the pretty green leafy dishes because I want them". YAHOO! Somebody loves my stuff too!! As soon as hunting season is over I will have a little time before it's warm enough to start fishing to show him how to set a pretty table with those cabbageleaf plates. Maybe I can even find a big white bunny for a centerpiece. I'm so excited!! Anyway, I know exactly how Grandma felt when that precious grandson said he loved her turkey plates! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. Betty

I think it's sweet and love hearing it. I've also heard and been called daughter. I find it personal rather than impersonal. I'm the only one in the room my mom is going to call daughter. Although, at almost 43, my mom mostly refers to me as "The kid". She'll say "give it to the kid" or @here you go daughter". The little hairs on my neck rise if my parents or DH use my name. I feel like I'm in trouble or something. She used to call my brother "Sonny boy". Not sure what she calls him now. His name is Terry, I think it's just Ter. My dadnames few names for me over the years. Nut I'm mostly Dan or Suge (sugar). My grandparents are responsible for "Dani Honey".