Many researchers presented findings from their fieldwork in Zambia and Mozambique during the ISBE (International Society for Behavioral Ecology) Congress 2024 in Melbourne. Claire Spottiswoode gave a plenary talk entitled ‘The natural history of a human-animal mutualism’, discussing some of the team’s fascinating findings on the cooperation between greater honeyguides and our own species. Mairenn Attwood, Jess Lund, Joel Radue, Tanmay Dixit, and Cameron Blair also all presented talks on their field research studying cuckoos, cuckoo finches, honeyguides, and ground-nesting birds. It was a delightful conference, and we’re all grateful to the organisers for making it such a wonderful event.