Robert Hanna, MS

About Rob:

Initially, I studied Biology as a means to medical school but after taking an avian biology course I changed trajectories and pursued ecology. Beginning with bioconsulting work with invasive species mitigation, I then moved to research. I joined Dr. Alejandro Rico-Guevara’s lab (UW) and began studying Colombian hummingbird biomechanics during aerial combat. I then joined Dr. Kira Delmore’s lab (TAMU) where I continued my work with North American hummingbirds in Texas and Arkansas. I have since gone back to CSUSM where I am pursuing my masters degree incorporating the different aspects of my previous work to better understand hummingbird flight in the context of their resource defense and courtship behaviors. Please see the hummingbird research page for an overview and below for the details of my Master's thesis work.

Contact: robhanna33@gmail.com

Rob's Master's Research

The ability to utilize air as a fluid medium through flight has evolved to become a very successful life strategy as shown by the extensive number of niches filled. Hummingbirds stand out among all fliers in their speed, unmatched agility, and ability to hover. Hummingbirds routinely push these abilities to their limits during courtship and resource defense behaviors, and several metrics have been developed to evaluate these abilities. I aim to use a “mechanoethological” framework integrating aspects of hummingbird behavioral interactions with their flight biomechanics and morphology, to better understand the components of courtship and territory defense behavior, by: (1) quantifying the biomechanics of the territory defense behaviors, and (2) identifying the same kinematic metrics for hummingbird courtship display dives in addition to the morphological features that influence these behaviors. I use GoPro cameras to film hummingbird behaviors in their natural environments, and obtain their 3-D positions over time to calculate a variety of flight kinematic variables, such as velocity and acceleration. Territorial defense and courtship behavior are critical for securing resources and attracting mates. I aim to execute an interdisciplinary approach to studying flight mechanics and their influence on these behaviors to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of their significance for the fitness of these organisms.