Robin S Mehlhausen-Franks
@rsmehlhausenfranks.bsky.social
PhD Researcher of bird flocks at the Royal Holloway University of London 🐦
Trustee of @caehafan.bsky.social
Fan of ethology, conservation, and ornithology.
Aspiring sci-fi author. Cymro 🏴. Nerd.
(He/Him)
Trustee of @caehafan.bsky.social
Fan of ethology, conservation, and ornithology.
Aspiring sci-fi author. Cymro 🏴. Nerd.
(He/Him)
Very excited to announce my first paper!
With @sjportugal.bsky.social, published in @ecol-evol.bsky.social 🧪🌍
We studied how flocks of homing pigeons change their flight in response to different ground cover, with some surprising results...
doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
#movementecology #ornithology
With @sjportugal.bsky.social, published in @ecol-evol.bsky.social 🧪🌍
We studied how flocks of homing pigeons change their flight in response to different ground cover, with some surprising results...
doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
#movementecology #ornithology
August 6, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Very excited to announce my first paper!
With @sjportugal.bsky.social, published in @ecol-evol.bsky.social 🧪🌍
We studied how flocks of homing pigeons change their flight in response to different ground cover, with some surprising results...
doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
#movementecology #ornithology
With @sjportugal.bsky.social, published in @ecol-evol.bsky.social 🧪🌍
We studied how flocks of homing pigeons change their flight in response to different ground cover, with some surprising results...
doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
#movementecology #ornithology
Attending the @royalholloway.bsky.social open day today to give a talk - Couldn't have asked for better weather for it
June 14, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Attending the @royalholloway.bsky.social open day today to give a talk - Couldn't have asked for better weather for it
So I've managed to go from BSc all the way up to the last year of my #PhD 🧪 without ever having submitted an article for review...
The time has finally come and it's one of the scariest things I've ever done!
The time has finally come and it's one of the scariest things I've ever done!
May 28, 2025 at 2:50 PM
So I've managed to go from BSc all the way up to the last year of my #PhD 🧪 without ever having submitted an article for review...
The time has finally come and it's one of the scariest things I've ever done!
The time has finally come and it's one of the scariest things I've ever done!
Crazy that this is the last year James McEvoy is opening the @rhulbiology.bsky.social postgraduate symposium.
Glad I was here to see it!
Glad I was here to see it!
April 30, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Crazy that this is the last year James McEvoy is opening the @rhulbiology.bsky.social postgraduate symposium.
Glad I was here to see it!
Glad I was here to see it!
Had to head off a bit early to catch a train from Liverpool, but had a great time at #ASABSpring2025!
As always thanks to all the organisers, and to ASAB for funding my attendance.
Shout-out to all who dropped by my poster to hear my inane ramblings about pigeons 🐦🕊🐦
As always thanks to all the organisers, and to ASAB for funding my attendance.
Shout-out to all who dropped by my poster to hear my inane ramblings about pigeons 🐦🕊🐦
April 25, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Had to head off a bit early to catch a train from Liverpool, but had a great time at #ASABSpring2025!
As always thanks to all the organisers, and to ASAB for funding my attendance.
Shout-out to all who dropped by my poster to hear my inane ramblings about pigeons 🐦🕊🐦
As always thanks to all the organisers, and to ASAB for funding my attendance.
Shout-out to all who dropped by my poster to hear my inane ramblings about pigeons 🐦🕊🐦
Nothing quite like watching a presentation by the guy that did half of the science your entire PhD is founded on. Appreciate it, @ceabcsic.bsky.social
#ASABSpring2025
#ASABSpring2025
April 25, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Nothing quite like watching a presentation by the guy that did half of the science your entire PhD is founded on. Appreciate it, @ceabcsic.bsky.social
#ASABSpring2025
#ASABSpring2025
NEVER MIND.
Highlight of #ASABSpring2025
was clearly coming back to the hotel to drop my stuff off and receiving a very curious visitor. 🐦
Highlight of #ASABSpring2025
was clearly coming back to the hotel to drop my stuff off and receiving a very curious visitor. 🐦
April 24, 2025 at 5:39 PM
NEVER MIND.
Highlight of #ASABSpring2025
was clearly coming back to the hotel to drop my stuff off and receiving a very curious visitor. 🐦
Highlight of #ASABSpring2025
was clearly coming back to the hotel to drop my stuff off and receiving a very curious visitor. 🐦
Animating your data can be really insightful!
After a few minutes flying with the rogue pigeon 39 (called him Dandy, he loved chilling in Windsor), no.46 returned to the flightpath of the flock, despite lagging behind the others.
#ornithology #animalbehavior #animalmovement #biologging #datavis
After a few minutes flying with the rogue pigeon 39 (called him Dandy, he loved chilling in Windsor), no.46 returned to the flightpath of the flock, despite lagging behind the others.
#ornithology #animalbehavior #animalmovement #biologging #datavis
April 6, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Animating your data can be really insightful!
After a few minutes flying with the rogue pigeon 39 (called him Dandy, he loved chilling in Windsor), no.46 returned to the flightpath of the flock, despite lagging behind the others.
#ornithology #animalbehavior #animalmovement #biologging #datavis
After a few minutes flying with the rogue pigeon 39 (called him Dandy, he loved chilling in Windsor), no.46 returned to the flightpath of the flock, despite lagging behind the others.
#ornithology #animalbehavior #animalmovement #biologging #datavis
Had an amazing time at #BOU2025! One of the best conferences I've been to, and not just because I got to see goslings every time I walked to the building...
April 3, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Had an amazing time at #BOU2025! One of the best conferences I've been to, and not just because I got to see goslings every time I walked to the building...
6/6 #BOU2025
We present the first evidence of a direct correlation between leadership and flap frequency in homing pigeon flocks, with it being stronger than any other effect that we modelled.
This suggests that being a leader in a complex flock is energetically advantageous over being a follower.
We present the first evidence of a direct correlation between leadership and flap frequency in homing pigeon flocks, with it being stronger than any other effect that we modelled.
This suggests that being a leader in a complex flock is energetically advantageous over being a follower.
April 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
6/6 #BOU2025
We present the first evidence of a direct correlation between leadership and flap frequency in homing pigeon flocks, with it being stronger than any other effect that we modelled.
This suggests that being a leader in a complex flock is energetically advantageous over being a follower.
We present the first evidence of a direct correlation between leadership and flap frequency in homing pigeon flocks, with it being stronger than any other effect that we modelled.
This suggests that being a leader in a complex flock is energetically advantageous over being a follower.
5/6 #BOU2025
We found several trends that were consistent across our lofts. Flap frequency decreased at lower flock density, higher flight speed, and especially over increasing flight time. Notably, the largest effect was that flap frequency was significantly lower in leaders than in followers.
We found several trends that were consistent across our lofts. Flap frequency decreased at lower flock density, higher flight speed, and especially over increasing flight time. Notably, the largest effect was that flap frequency was significantly lower in leaders than in followers.
April 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
5/6 #BOU2025
We found several trends that were consistent across our lofts. Flap frequency decreased at lower flock density, higher flight speed, and especially over increasing flight time. Notably, the largest effect was that flap frequency was significantly lower in leaders than in followers.
We found several trends that were consistent across our lofts. Flap frequency decreased at lower flock density, higher flight speed, and especially over increasing flight time. Notably, the largest effect was that flap frequency was significantly lower in leaders than in followers.
4/6 #BOU2025
Biologgers were deployed on 26 birds across 3 lofts, each flown 14 times over a distance of 10km. We modelled flap frequency over flight speed, individual position within the flock, several measures of flock density, flight time, date, and leadership; all calculated from GPS data.
Biologgers were deployed on 26 birds across 3 lofts, each flown 14 times over a distance of 10km. We modelled flap frequency over flight speed, individual position within the flock, several measures of flock density, flight time, date, and leadership; all calculated from GPS data.
April 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
4/6 #BOU2025
Biologgers were deployed on 26 birds across 3 lofts, each flown 14 times over a distance of 10km. We modelled flap frequency over flight speed, individual position within the flock, several measures of flock density, flight time, date, and leadership; all calculated from GPS data.
Biologgers were deployed on 26 birds across 3 lofts, each flown 14 times over a distance of 10km. We modelled flap frequency over flight speed, individual position within the flock, several measures of flock density, flight time, date, and leadership; all calculated from GPS data.
3/6 #BOU2025
Flap frequency is an effective measure of the cost of flight, calculated from dorsal body movements measured by accelerometery. We used accelerometers and GPS loggers to track the flap frequency and movement of all individuals in multiple flocks, over repeat flights from one site.
Flap frequency is an effective measure of the cost of flight, calculated from dorsal body movements measured by accelerometery. We used accelerometers and GPS loggers to track the flap frequency and movement of all individuals in multiple flocks, over repeat flights from one site.
April 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
3/6 #BOU2025
Flap frequency is an effective measure of the cost of flight, calculated from dorsal body movements measured by accelerometery. We used accelerometers and GPS loggers to track the flap frequency and movement of all individuals in multiple flocks, over repeat flights from one site.
Flap frequency is an effective measure of the cost of flight, calculated from dorsal body movements measured by accelerometery. We used accelerometers and GPS loggers to track the flap frequency and movement of all individuals in multiple flocks, over repeat flights from one site.
2/6 #BOU2025
The homing pigeon provides an ideal study species for improving our understanding of flight in birds and beyond. Their homing behaviour facilitates fast, detailed, and reliable capture-recapture logging of repeated flights. They can also comfortably carry relatively bulky loggers.
The homing pigeon provides an ideal study species for improving our understanding of flight in birds and beyond. Their homing behaviour facilitates fast, detailed, and reliable capture-recapture logging of repeated flights. They can also comfortably carry relatively bulky loggers.
April 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
2/6 #BOU2025
The homing pigeon provides an ideal study species for improving our understanding of flight in birds and beyond. Their homing behaviour facilitates fast, detailed, and reliable capture-recapture logging of repeated flights. They can also comfortably carry relatively bulky loggers.
The homing pigeon provides an ideal study species for improving our understanding of flight in birds and beyond. Their homing behaviour facilitates fast, detailed, and reliable capture-recapture logging of repeated flights. They can also comfortably carry relatively bulky loggers.
1/6 #BOU2025
Despite the prevalence of bird flock research, many questions remain as to what drives changes in the flight behaviour of cluster flocks.
@sjportugal.bsky.social and I addressed some of these using flights of homing pigeons.
#ornithology #animalbehavior #animalmovement #biologging
Despite the prevalence of bird flock research, many questions remain as to what drives changes in the flight behaviour of cluster flocks.
@sjportugal.bsky.social and I addressed some of these using flights of homing pigeons.
#ornithology #animalbehavior #animalmovement #biologging
April 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
1/6 #BOU2025
Despite the prevalence of bird flock research, many questions remain as to what drives changes in the flight behaviour of cluster flocks.
@sjportugal.bsky.social and I addressed some of these using flights of homing pigeons.
#ornithology #animalbehavior #animalmovement #biologging
Despite the prevalence of bird flock research, many questions remain as to what drives changes in the flight behaviour of cluster flocks.
@sjportugal.bsky.social and I addressed some of these using flights of homing pigeons.
#ornithology #animalbehavior #animalmovement #biologging
Been finding out that sometimes it helps to visualise your model outputs the old-fashioned way 🤣
March 26, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Been finding out that sometimes it helps to visualise your model outputs the old-fashioned way 🤣
You know you've made it in your PhD about pigeons when THIS is your bday cake:
His name is Hubert, he is delicious.
His name is Hubert, he is delicious.
March 13, 2025 at 2:48 PM
You know you've made it in your PhD about pigeons when THIS is your bday cake:
His name is Hubert, he is delicious.
His name is Hubert, he is delicious.