Photo: Aviceda at English Wikipedia / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Kingfishers & Rollers

Red-backed Kingfisher

Todiramphus pyrrhopygius

Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Australian Capital Territory Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia Birds of Tasmania Birds of Victoria Birds of Western Australia

By family

Kingfishers of Australia Kingfishers of Queensland

See what's near you right now

The Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 51.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Coraciiformes
Family Alcedinidae Kingfishers
Genus Todiramphus
Species pyrrhopygius

Where it lives

Australia (except southern, Tasmania)

Australia & Oceania

Quick facts

Weight: 51.7 g
Diet: Invertebrate-eaters
Family: Alcedinidae
Order: Coraciiformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Critically Endangered

Marquesan Kingfisher

Todiramphus godeffroyi

Extinct in the Wild

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Red-backed Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Red-backed Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius) is a member of the Alcedinidae family, within the order Coraciiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia (except s, Tasmania).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 51.7 g, with a wing length of about 10 cm and a tail of around 6.8 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 7.4 million km².

Songs & calls

Red-backed Kingfisher — Call

Recorded by Louis Masarei Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Red-backed Kingfisher?

The Red-backed Kingfisher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 51.7 g.

Where does the Red-backed Kingfisher live?

The Red-backed Kingfisher is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia (except s, Tasmania), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Red-backed Kingfisher belong to?

The Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.

What does the Red-backed Kingfisher eat?

The Red-backed Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Red-backed Kingfisher migrate?

The Red-backed Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Red-backed Kingfisher endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Red-backed Kingfisher make?

1 real field recording of the Red-backed Kingfisher — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Red-backed Kingfisher's range?

The Red-backed Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 7.4 million km².