It’s been a while since I last managed to photograph a Dollarbird. They tend to spend their time very high up on tall trees or poles, silhouetted against the harsh Australian sky. It was a delight to see one a little lower down in a bushy wetland.

Oriental Dollarbirds are migratory. We see them near Sydney, on the east coast of Australia, in the summer months. They spend the winter up north, in New Guinea and surrounding islands.

They’re quite pretty when you see them up close, dark with a blue-green sheen on their feathers. Their large heads tend to make them look cute and cuddly. They also have a gently curved beak, with the tip outlined in black , which adds a touch of nobility.

The bird changed position, and we can now see the blue-green colouring on its back too:

Common name: Dollarbird
Scientific name: Eurystomus orientalis
Approximate length: 27 cm
Date spotted: 30 December 2023 (summer)
Location: Manly Dam Park, NSW, Australia: 33°46’21.4″S 151°14’32.7″E