Helping behaviour and parental care in fairy-wrens (Malurus)

Cooperative breeding among birds was first discovered in the genus Malurus (Maluridae), the fairy-wrens. Cooperative care arises because male, and sometimes female, offspring remain in their natal territory and help the adults rear offspring. Early uses of data from Superb Fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) to illustrate how kin altruism can explain helping behaviour were based on flawed assumptions. Most importantly, high rates of extra-group mating...