The multilevel society of a cooperatively breeding Australian songbird, the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)

Multilevel societies are considered to be the most complex social structures found in vertebrates. During my PhD I first described the theoretical link between cooperative breeding and the potential emergence of multilevel societies across Australian and New Zealand birds. I then studied groups of superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus), a cooperatively breeding Australian songbird. I subsequently demonstrated how individual superb fairy-wrens can adjust cooperative behaviour toward other individuals within their multilevel society and I showed how cooperative behaviour varies with seasonal changes in environmental condition. My PhD research highlights the potential that birds offer to understand the evolution of multilevel societies.