Dollarbirds are migratory, coming down to the Sydney area for the summer months after wintering on islands further north. I spotted this one this morning, perched high on a dead tree:

The Dollarbird was behaving exactly as my bird book says it’s supposed to behave. They typically sit high up on a dead branch and watch for insects to catch.

My photos are a little fuzzy, alas, because the bird was so far away and my camera wason maximum zoom. Luckily it’s quite a large bird, at approximately 30 centimetres from head to tail, which makes it easier to spot.

Here’s a picture of the front of the bird, showing some of its blue/green colouring:

Its throat is a lovely purple colour:

The next bit amused me. The bird was grooming, and seemed surprised and even a little piqued when a feather escaped:

The Dollarbird gets its name from the white patches on its wings, which look like silver dollar coins when the bird is flying. Here you can see a bit of the white patch as the bird stretches its wing:

As well as the white patch, this photo shows the feathers on its back nicely:

In this short video clip, you see the flashes of white on the wings as the Dollarbird flies off:

Dollarbirds make a strange, insistent chattering noise. I didn’t catch this one in a noisy mood, but you can hear another Dollarbird in my post from five years ago. Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve seen one of these birds!

Common name: Dollarbird

Scientific name: Eurystomus orientalis

Approximate length: 30 cm

Date spotted: 14 December 2019 (summer)

Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia: 33°47’02.2″S 151°15’18.3″E