Behavioural Ecology studies behaviour in an ecological context from an evolutionary perspective. It focuses on how behaviour contributes to an animal's struggle to survive and reproduce.
Within this evolutionary and ecological framework, one of its main aims is to understand why different species behave in different ways and why, within species, there may be individual differences in behaviour.
Theories arising from the field of behavioural ecology have been applied to problems in conservation biology, animal welfare and human social behaviour.