Asian dollarbird

Eurystomus orientalis

Photo by Nial Moores (Birds Korea)

Common name:
Asian dollarbird (en); rolieiro-oriental (es); rolle oriental (fr); carraca oriental (es); dollarvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Coraciidae

Range:
This species breeds in extreme south-eastern Russia, Korea, Japan and eastern China, through Indochina and Indonesia and into eastern and southern India and northern and eastern Australia. The more northern and southern populations migrate while the central populations are resident.

Size:
These birds are 25-31 cm long and weigh 120 g.

Habitat:
The dollarbird is found in a wide range of habitats, including moist scrublands, temperate forests, moist tropical forests, pastures, arable land, rural gardens and urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They feed almost exclusively on flying insects, which they catch on the wing or by sallying out from a perch.

Breeding:
Dollarbirds can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. They nest in an unlined tree hollow, where the female lays 3-4 white eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 17-20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 1 month after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is reported to be frequent to common throughout most of this range. The population is suspected to be in decline locally owing to ongoing habitat destruction.