At midnight 31st December 2018, the visitor indicator of the BESG website recorded a total of 18,787,491 visits. This translates to 3,926,139 visits for the year under review – see last year report HERE.
We maintained our tradition of posting at least one article a day. Of the total 384 posts for the year, 92.4% were related to birds. The remaining 7.6% of the posts were on non-avian fauna (5.2%), plants (1.6%) and miscellaneous (0.8%). True to the aim of the Bird Ecology Study Group, we maintained our emphasis on the study of bird behaviour.
The Bird Ecology Study Group or BESG was conceived in 2005 to encourage the study of bird behavior among the small group of local birdwatchers. Birdwatching then involved listing the species of birds seen, ignoring the more interesting study of bird behaviour. Since then we have opened the eyes of birdwatchers to the need to pay attention to bird behaviour when out in the field.
Cooperation with Facebook: Birds, Insects N Creatures Of Asia (BICA) was maintained and the expertise of these citizen scientists continued to add value to our postings. In particular, Ang Siew Siew’s 2016 documentation of a Tanimbar Corella (Cacatua goffini) using tool found its way into the scientific world when AJ Osuna-Mascaró & AMI Auersperg published her findings in the scientific journal Animal Behaviour and Cognition – a PDF of the paper can be obtained HERE.
We wish to thank Howard Banwell for suggesting that each post be accompanied by a “button” at the end for readers to click on the “heart” to indicate “like” as an encouragement to contributors. We encourage readers to be proactive and click the button if he or she finds the post interesting. Dr Yuchen Ang of the Lee Kong Chian Nature History Museum, National University of Singapore contributed his expertise in inserting the buttons. We wish to thank Prof. Peter Ng Kee Lin, Head of the museum for providing backup support.
We thank the following contributors for making it possible for BESG to post daily during the year 2018. Should there be any names that are not on the list, out apologies – inform us and we will rectify our mistakes immediately:
Acierto, Estela V; Amar-Singh HSS; Ang Siew Siew; Banwell Howard; Chan Kumchun; Chan Melinda, Chan Yoke Meng, Cheah Albert; Chen Philip; Chia Cecily; Chia Jon; Chin Sam; Cheong Steven; Chua Tony; Chua William; Chuah Yeow Chong; Devasahayam, Anita; Devasahayam, S; FIN; Fletcher K; Foo Ash; Gan Cheong Weei; Gan James; Ghate Shyam; Ho Jean; Heng Steven; K, Khoo MeiLin; Koh Dave; Kuah Jonathan; Lai Jack; Lee Li Er; Lee Chiu San; Lee How-Sung; Lee Ted; Lee Van Hien; Leong Tzi Ming; Lim Francis; LiuJia GaoJian; Leow KS; Lim Geri; Lim KP Kelvin; Lim Roy; Lim Siew-Im; Loei Jeremiah; Loke Peng Fai; Low Allen, Makwana Bhupendra; Naidoo Neela; Ng Jui; Ng Trustmind; Ngiam Shih Tung; O’Neill Daisy; Ong Yew Chee; Poonswad Pilai; Ravishankar Lakshmi; Siah Maggie; Seah Kok Meng; Sharp Ilsa; Siew Mun; Sivaraman Pary; Strange Bee Choo; Strange Morten; Subaraj Rajathurai; Tan Dick; Tan Guanrui Jacob; Tan Samson, Tan SY Joyce; Tan Terence; Tann James; Teo Lee Wei, Tham Joe; Thong Chow Ngian; Toh Art; Toh Benson; Tsang KC; Umavijani Tassapa; Yeo Linee; Unciano G Tinny; Wee Johnny; Wee Karyne; Wee YC; Wells, David R; Woo Jia-Wei; Wong Weng-Fai; Yap Birdie; Yeo Eng Chai; Yeong Waikai; Yip Roland.
YC Wee
Singapore
1st January 2019
