18-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - RUFOUS BACKED DWARF KINGFISHER (Ceyx rufidorsa)

Tiny, unbelievably cute kingfisher: a luminous ball of pink, orange, yellow, and varying amounts of blue and purple. Brightly-colored back distinguishes this species from closely related Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher. Forages in shaded patches of dense vegetation, in mangroves, overgrown edge, or deep lowland and foothill forest. Can be near or away from water; when near water, often near shallow forest streams and small pools. Gives high squeaks and thin whistles, often as paired notes.

The kingfisher species of bird is known for its vibrant and remarkable plumage that is a treat to the eyes. Tiny, adorable, and a brilliant feathery ball of yellow, orange, pink, and various shades of blue, the rufous-backed dwarf kingfisher or simply the rufous-backed kingfisher (Ceyx rufidorsa) is no exception! Belonging to the family Alcedinidae and order Coraciiformes, this species of kingfisher has an uncanny resemblance to the similar-looking black-backed kingfisher or the Oriental dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca). In fact, Ceyx rufidorsa was earlier thought to be a color morph of Ceyx erithaca until recent genetic studies revealed that Ceyx erithaca and Ceyx rufidorsa are two separate lineages. The rufous-backed dwarf kingfisher has four subspecies.

The global distribution range of the rufous-backed dwarf kingfisher is quite extensive and includes large swathes of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Typically, populations of this species and its subspecies are endemic in Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei, India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, and Srilanka. The tiny birds inhabit dense tropical evergreen and deciduous forests, bamboo and palm thickets, mangroves, dense rubber gardens, shrubs, and deep lowland forests. They forage in dense and shady vegetation patches and thrive on a diet comprising insects, fish, frogs, small crabs, lizards, worms, and spiders.