Emu breeding inverts the pattern most people expect. The female lays a clutch of large dark-green eggs, then commonly departs to pair with another male. The male takes over entirely, building and tending the nest scrape and settling in to incubate.
Incubation runs about 50 to 60 days. During that time the male rarely leaves the nest, and observers report that he goes for long stretches without feeding or drinking, turning the eggs several times a day and surviving largely on stored fat. Substantial weight loss over the incubation period is routinely documented. Once the striped chicks hatch, he continues to guard and lead them, often for several months.
The detail most often exaggerated is the fasting itself. Sitting males do sometimes rise and take water or a little food, so the picture of an absolute, unbroken fast for eight weeks is tidier than the observed behaviour.