I recently finished a satisfying and challenging project; conceiving and editing a book entitled Partnerships in Birds. The study of monogamy, Pp. 420, (Oxford University Press), which includes 19 chapters from the finest long-term bird studies and several wide-ranging reviews. It has been in the shops since June 1996 and is selling very well. The book provides a detailed treatment about a number of related issues, such as quantifying the advantage of remaining with the same mate, which mate-types yield optimal reproductive rates, why and when divorce should occur and the adaptive benefit of mating outside the pair bond. The project, which was useful in that it identified how the current position differs from the long-established views, was based on a series of comparisons from long-term studies. We concluded that next step in the enquiry is to undertake a series of experimental studies that specifically test the new views on the evolution and maintenance of monogamy, including the following hypotheses:
I prepared a set of experiments that are designed to uncover the mechanisms and functions that drive decisions in favour of mate fidelity, divorce or extra-pair copulations. The range of focal species will enable consideration of the effects of longevity, resident or migrant status, the quality of habitats, and the amount of time pair members are together. Examples of focal species include: Continuous partnerships: various geese, zebra finches,
jackdaws and StellerÅs jays; and Current emphasis is on barnacle geese, Canada geese and Steller's jays.  Barnacle goose flock: Within goose flocks, pairs maintain close proximity to mates throughout the day, each season, often for life. Family units are detectable during disputes for foraging space.
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