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Dollarbird |
Sightings
Dollarbirds are easy to see in the tops of tall dead trees and their squawking makes them audible over considerable distances. They are summer season visitors to the place where we lived in 2005, 20 km south of Narrabri, New South Wales. In 2005 they arrived in October; there were several groups/family clans - at least one near our place and one on our neighbour's property. Spotted again in the same area in November 2006.
Seen 20 km east of Narrabri from November 2007 onwards, where they stayed throughout the spring and summer. By mid-October 2008 there was no sign of them yet. Heard for the first time that year in the middle of November; not seen or heard again after the middle of January 2009, while there were Dollarbirds still around 40 km east of Narrabri in the first half of February. Seen again in the area 20 km east of Narrabri in the 2009/10 breeding season.
Seen along the banks of the Namoi River near Boggabri, NSW, in late October 2008.
Seen also by C. Kellenberg at Plum Creek, Biggenden, QLD, in December 2008.
Photos
Since they normally stay high up in the trees, it is difficult to get a good photo of one without setting up camp in a treetop. It is particularly difficult to show the subtle dark-green to black colour variations, because the birds are often seen against a blindingly bright sky background. In flight, they are easy to identify due to the dollar-size white spot on the underside of their wings which gave them their name.
Wonderful view of a Dollarbird in flight; the colour display is magnificent, showing a variety of blue and turquoise hues; photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg (click on image for full field of view)
Lateral view of a Dollarbird sitting high up in a tree top; due to the favourable light conditions, the bird's subtle colour pattern is visible
Closer lateral view in less favourable light conditions; this is the main difficulty in depicting these birds. If the angle of infalling sunlight is not optimal, the colour pattern of the plumage is invisible
Closer frontal view of a Dollarbird; still, except for the bill and feet, the whole bird is very inconspicuous, with dark green/grey/brown colours
Look at a Dollarbird from below
Here a photo showing clearly the conspicuous orange bill
Not a good shot, but one can see on the wing the bird is stretching the characteristic, dollar-size white spot
Frontal view of a juvenile Dollarbird
The same bird as above, turning the other cheek