Photo: Fajar Kaprawi / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Kingfishers & Rollers

Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher

Ceyx rufidorsa

Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx rufidorsa) — Kingfishers & Rollers of South & Southeast Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Indonesia Birds of India Birds of Malaysia Birds of the Philippines Birds of Thailand

By family

Kingfishers of Indonesia Kingfishers of India Kingfishers of Malaysia Kingfishers of the Philippines Kingfishers of Thailand

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The Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx rufidorsa) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 17.9 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 Ceyx
Species rufidorsa

Where it lives

Southern Thai-Malay Pen., Greater and Lesser Sundas to western, southwestern Philippines

South & Southeast Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 17.9 g
Diet: Invertebrate-eaters
Family: Alcedinidae
Order: Coraciiformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Malagasy Kingfisher

Corythornis vintsioides

Critically Endangered

Biology & behaviour

Diet

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

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

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

The Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx rufidorsa) is a member of the Alcedinidae family, within the order Coraciiformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR s Thai-Malay Pen., Greater and Lesser Sundas to w, sw Philippines.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 17.9 g, with a wing length of about 5.8 cm and a tail of around 2.8 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 1.6 million km².

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher?

The Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher is a small bird that weighs around 17.9 g.

Where does the Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher live?

The Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR s Thai-Malay Pen., Greater and Lesser Sundas to w, sw Philippines, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher belong to?

The Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx rufidorsa) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.

What does the Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher eat?

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

Does the Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher migrate?

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

Is the Rufous-backed Dwarf 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.

How large is the Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher's range?

The Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 1.6 million km².