[BirdPhotoIndia] Dollarbird

This Dollarbird was found in a forest in Thattekad that gave us the frogmouths.These poor one and a half shots in bad light are only being shared as I managed to get a faint patch on its underwings which give it its name.Here is some information from the net that says why its called the dollarbird.

" The Dollarbird or Broad-billed Roller is the sole member of the family Coraciidae to inhabit Australia. A migratory species, it arrives in eastern and northern Australia from New Guinea in early October and remains until March. Breeding pairs nest in high tree hollows, usually 10 m or more above ground. Great aerial acrobats they sally forth from regular lookout perches such as dead trees or powerlines and catch all of their insect food on the wing - diving and gliding, swooping and stooping and even an occasional loop !
The name Dollarbird has an interesting history and is truly Australian in origin. It dates back to the early 1800's when the Spanish silver dollar and famous "holey dollar" were official currency in N.S.W. Early settlers applied the name, likening the whitish patches on the underwings to silver dollar coins, a fanciful idea, for the patches are not all that round, but to the naked eye, they may seem that way. Binoculars would have been a rare commodity in those days. Nevertheless, the name has stuck and it certainly is a more catchy title than 'Broad-billed Roller'."

Soma Jha

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