The rufous-backed dwarf kingfisher is a small bird in the kingfisher family Alcedinidae that is found in parts of Maritime Southeast Asia. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the black-backed dwarf kingfisher and together the two taxa were known by the English name "oriental dwarf kingfisher".
Region
Sundaland (Maritime Southeast Asia)
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland evergreen rainforests of the Sundaic region, including the Malay Peninsula south of Thailand, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and nearby islands. Prefers shaded forest interiors near slow, clear streams, forest pools, and seepages. Uses dense understory and overhanging vegetation for cover and hunting perches. Can persist in mature secondary forest but is scarce in heavily degraded habitats. Rarely ventures into open water bodies or far from forest cover.
Altitude Range
0–900 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Among the smallest kingfishers, it measures only about 13–14 cm yet sports dazzling colors that glow even in dim rainforest understory. It nests in tunnels excavated in stream banks or earthen slopes, where both parents share incubation and chick-rearing. Once treated as part of the “oriental dwarf kingfisher” complex, it is now split from the black-backed dwarf kingfisher by its rufous back.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low darting flights
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, maintaining small riparian territories within dense forest. Breeds in the wet season, excavating a horizontal tunnel into an earthen bank where 3–5 eggs are laid. Both sexes incubate and feed the young, delivering prey items in rapid visits.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched whistles and squeaky seee or tsip notes that carry in the understory. Calls are brief and often delivered from concealed perches, sometimes in rapid series when agitated.
Plumage
Brilliantly colored forest kingfisher with a distinctly rufous to orange back and mantle, contrasting with purplish-violet crown and bluish wing paneling. Underparts are rich golden-orange to yellow; throat often paler. Feathers are sleek and glossy, aiding a compact, neat appearance.
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects such as beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers, as well as spiders and small crustaceans. Will also take small frogs and lizards on occasion. Hunts by watching from low shaded perches and sallying to the ground, leaf litter, or water edge to snatch prey. Swallows small prey whole and beats larger items before ingestion.
Preferred Environment
Favors dim, humid microhabitats along shaded forest streams, puddles, and seepages. Often perches just above the ground or water on low branches or roots with overhead cover. Avoids open banks and bright, exposed waterways.
