Social, spatial and genetic drivers and their consequences in a multilevel society

In my PhD, I propose a novel hypothesis: that sociality in sedentary, long-lived species can mitigate the costs of territorial conflict. I will test this hypothesis in superb fairy-wrens Malurus cyaneus. While territorial during the breeding season, breeding fairy-wren groups are highly social during the harsh winter, forming preferred associations with other breeding groups. I will quantify the relative importance of different drivers of social decisions during the winter (preferences according to kinship, shared breeding territory boundaries) and the fitness consequences of variation in social choices (on reproductive success).