Behavioural Ecology: An Evolutionary Approach

This book is highly regarded in the field of behavioral ecology, and its more of a new volume than an 2nd ed. It focuses on the most advancing areas of the field, so if you are interested in other areas not covered in this edition, like predator-prey dynamics, check out the previous edition. This is a technical book so of course it requires some time and lots of thought to get through, but its definately worth it. For a mult-authored book, this one has been beautifully edited with smooth transitions from chapter to chapter. My favorite chapter was the one on sexual selection. I was already familar with the topic but this account of sexual selection was quite inciteful. If you are seriously studying animal behavior or behavioral ecology (there is a slight difference), this book is a must. Rightly so, it focuses on the ecological and evolutionary aspects of behavior, but there are a few chapters on the proximate cause of behavior as well. Animal behavior has long been studied and described, but it is only with the rigors of evolutionary thought that they are explained and understood, as evident by this book. This field has progressed much in the last few decades, and most would be surprised at how developed and rigorous it has become. The mathematical models presented are for the most part simple to understand and they adequately synthesize empirical evidence. If you are looking for an introduction to the field, start with their book, An Introduction to Behaviour Ecology.