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| Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
- Adult |
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| Photographer : | © Amar-Singh HSS |
| Location : | Tanjung Rambutan area, Perak, Malaysia |
| Date : |
9 February 2009 |
| Equipment : | Nikon D90 SLR with Tamron AF Zoom 200-500mm |
| Alt. Common Name : | Broad-billed Roller, Oriental Broad-billed Roller, Oriental Dollarbird, Dark Roller, Eastern Broad-billed Roller, Asian Broad-billed Roller, Common Dollarbird |
| Bird Family : | Coraciidae - Rollers & dollarbird |
| Bird Group : | CORACIIFORMES |
| Red Data Status : | Unspecified |
| Remarks : | Fight for nest hole.
Spent 15-20 minutes watching a battle for a nest between Dollar Birds and Jungle Mynas.
Was hard to get shots as the action was fast & furious & sun was in the way (mid morning).
I think there are no young in the nest, just a fight for a nesting hole.
It is not possible to tell the Dollar Bird sexes apart but the presumed male Dollar Bird did most of the "fighting" – the female only helped 3 times by "dive bombing" the Jungle Mynas – rest of the time
she sat quite low on a nearby branch to watch. Both male & female Jungle Mynas fought back.
Most of the time the Dollar Bird would sit on the coconut tree trunk and cover the hole with his body. Not sure how he managed to grip the tree surface. The Jungle Mynas were below and tried to make sorties
upwards to dislodge him. There was much aerial combat – with the Dollar Bird "dive bombing" the Jungle Mynas to chase them from the hole. There also much squabbling/calls to intimidate. Also some "face
offs". The Dollar Birds won.
The prize: an abandoned woodpecker hole, 5-6 meters up, in a dead coconut tree trunk.
Amar |
| Taxonomic Notes : | |
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