Citizen scientists document another hornbill nesting

In March 2009 Dr Jeff Lim was observing a pair of Oriental Pied Hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris) nesting in Changi, Singapore. He staked out the site for a few weeks until he had other more urgent commitments. He then turned to BESG to seek another photographer to continue his documentation. Howard Banwell volunteered when he read our appeal in the forum and continued the work until the chicks fledged recently.

This is another excellent example of how BESG gets citizen scientists to work together and make field observations that are of value to ornithologists and nature enthusiasts alike. The collaboration did not end after the chicks fledged. Both Jeff and Howard continued to work closely together that finally ended when a paper was published. BESG is proud to have brought the two together and to have acted as a catalyst for the writing of the scientific paper:

Banwell, H. M. & J. C. W. Lim, 2009. Observations on a successful nesting of a pair of Oriental pied hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris, Shaw & Nodd, 1790) at Changi Village, Singapore. Nature in Singapore 2: 275-281.

Anyone interested in a PDF copy can download it from HERE.

An earlier post documented two failed attempts at nesting in Changi during 2007.

Howard Banwell & Dr Jeff Lim
Singapore
June 2009
(Image of male Oriental Pied Hornbill with a bird chick in his bill by Howard Banwell and the male arriving at the nest by Dr Jeff Lim(