From the abstract: “In this paper the authors investigate the dynamics of a three species competition model in which all species have the same population dynamics but different dispersal strategies. If one of the three species adopts a dispersal strategy which produces the so-called ideal free distribution (as defined by R. Gejji et al. in [Bull. Math. Biol. 74, No. 2, 257–299 (2012; Zbl 1319.92035)]), then none of the other two species can persist if they do not form an ideal free pair. Also it is shown that if two species form an ideal free pair, then the third species can not invade in general. When none of the three species is adopting a dispersal strategy which can produce the ideal free distribution, existence of some class of resource functions such that three species competing for the same resource can be ecologically permanent by using different dispersal strategies, is established.”