The study of cooperation and conflict between individual animals is an active and exciting field. One of the founding fathers of behavioural ecology, Nick Davies, concludes his book on dunnock society by saying that the lesson to be learnt is "... that we should put as much effort into our bird watching, to see how individuals behave, as we do into detailed measurements of factors influencing reproductive success". Indeed, the comprehensive study of polygyny in the oystercatcher (Haematopus ostrale-gus), reported by Heg and van Treuren on page 687 of this issue, does just that. This is no small achievement, given that polygyny — where one male is mated to two (or more) females—is rare in this species of bird.
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