The Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher, also known as the Three-toed Kingfisher, is a diminutive avian jewel of the Alcedinidae family. This tropical kingfisher is a partial migrant, endemic to the Indian Subcontinent and Mainland Southeast Asia. It is a striking bird with a red bill, yellow-orange underparts, and lilac-rufous upperparts, contrasted by a blue-black back.
Adults of this species can be identified by their black forehead spot, blue and white neck patches, and lilac-rufous crown, rump, and tail. They possess a dark blue back and wings, a white chin and throat, and pale yellow-orange underparts. Their legs, feet, and bill are a vivid red. Juveniles are duller with less lilac and a yellow-orange bill with a pale tip. Both sexes are similar in appearance, with males being slightly larger.
The Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher favors lowland forests, often near streams or ponds. It thrives in primary and secondary deciduous and evergreen forests, as well as alluvial forests, mangroves, and overgrown plantations.
This species is found in northeastern India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, southern China, and disjunctly in southwest India and Sri Lanka. Some northern populations migrate to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra during the non-breeding season.
