Local birdwatchers are mostly twitchers, listers and tickers. Attempts to encourage them to get to know more about birds failed miserably until 2005 when the BESG was formed. The setting of a website on bird behaviour helped to popularise this most interesting aspect of birdwatching. In no time at all aspects like anting, pellet casting, nictitating membrane, comfort behaviour, etc. entered the vocabulary of birdwatchers. And soon the website developed into an important resource on the bird behaviour of local and regional species.
The total number of visitors to our site is currently fast approaching the two million mark. And with nearly 2,000 postings on various aspects of bird behaviour, the website has fast become a valuable resource to birdwatchers, ornithologists and nature enthusiasts alike.
We actively encourage use of the digital camera and videocams in birdwatching. Images and videos allow food and prey items to be subsequently identified by specialist biologists. They also allow for the subsequent interpretations of uncommon behaviour that generally go undetected in the field.
To bring birdwatching to the next level, we are encouraging the documentation and analysis of bird calls and songs. Many have responded and we now have a collection on our website.
Our postings have resulted in scientific and popular publications. In particular, our publication on the gular sac of the Blue-eared Barbet is a significant contribution to ornithology (Lim, Wang & Wee, 2009).
We have recently added a sister site in The Birds of Singapore to provide useful and conveniently accessible information to readers on the current knowledge of our local bird fauna. This site is actively under construction.
We have allied with others like NaturePixels.com and GreenAnswers as well as actively participating in mutually beneficial activities like I and the Bird and Bird Action Day.
All the above have been made possible through the generosity of the many photographers and birdwatchers in sharing their observations and images; our panel of scientific advisers who willingly helped in the identification of organisms and the interpretation of behaviour; and of course our visitors who have made the website one of a handful of top birding sites in cyberspace. But most of all we thank Jacqueline Lau who continues to host the website and recently took pains to upgrade it. Last but not least, we thank Slim Sreedharan for initiating, setting up and hosting our sister site, The Birds of Singapore.
Reference:
Lim, A. T. H., L. K. Wang & Y. C. Wee, 2009. The Blue-eared Barbet Megalaima australis and its gular sac. BirdingASIA 11: 98-101.
5 Responses
Congrats on your great effort and success! Keep up the great work. My hope is to see some video streaming from some strategic sights so that for our friends overseas, and some lazy people like me, could view through the internet. (^^)
This is a great blog,
i like the information, though much of it is not from Africa where i come from. it is very informative.
Dominic- Kenya
Just noticed that there are now more than 2 million visitors.
Congratulations on reaching yet another milestone and may more millions visit this informative site. Thanks to the many articles posted here, I have gained and is still gaining knowledge.
Kwong is right – 2 million plus. My congratulations also. I have been a twitcher for a few decades. Site has opened my eyes. In the field I now see more than just birds. Thanks.
Nah. I prefer to just look at birds…