"The organization and integration of these topics makes the book useful even to those familiar with his work. It should be particularly instructive for students, because the work addresses questions typical of the general field of behavioral ecology and demonstrates the value of combining experiment and description."
         -- Nature

"Davies' ten-year study combines theory and field observation to examine basic questions in behavioral ecology and sociobiology. His unifying theme is the relationship between gender roles and conflicts, mating systems, and parental care, which assure an adequate supply of baby dunnocks for future generations. Must reading for behavioral scientists."
         -- Choice

"Davies summarizes a decade of work analyzing how the different mating systems of dunnocks arise and their social and reproductive consequences . . . . Provides an engaging introduction to current questions about the evolution of mating systems, a model of what can be achieved by a judicious blend of field observation and experimentation, and a salutary reminder that solutions to important problems in behavioral ecology may reside in one's own back yard."
         -- Science

"Splendid. . . . the book is an easy way to learn all about Davies' Dunnocks at once, and I rather enjoyed reading it this way. Davies' writing style is charming and I found the book . . . engaging. . . . he asked all the right questions for our times. . . . well argued . . . carefully constructed . . . one of the best-ever studies in behavioral ecology and social evolution."
         -- The Condor