The husband defends the abode, and the wife feeds the family - this is how a paradise flycatcher couple shares the responsibility of raising their four chicks.

Pictures snapped on Sunday in Tianmen City of central China's Hubei Province resonate with humans working hard to take care of their young families.

The husband, with white plumage and a long tail, flies around the nest, driving away other birds such as magpies upon their approaching. The wife with rufous feathers brings insects such as dragonflies back to the nest to feed the young birds.

Among the four newborns, three have left the nest and can stand on tree branches while one chick stays in the nest.

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(All images provided by Zhang Yehua)