Oriental dwarf kingfisher Ceyx erithaca

In southwestern India, they begin to breed in June - with the onset of the Southwest Monsoon. In other areas, their breeding season stretches from October to December.

The nest is a horizontal tunnel or burrow on a bank up to a meter in length. The nests are constructed by both males and females. They will take turns burrowing out a tunnel with their feet, and then they will hollow out a narrow chamber at the end of the tunnel in which to lay their eggs. The birds will spend between three and seven days working to complete their tunnel. Some birds attack their worksites so forcefully that they have fatally injured themselves as they fly into the tunnels during these excavations. Nests constructed in hard, less penetrable ground will have tunnels that are shorter than those dug into sand or soft soil. Kingfishers are fiercely territorial in defense of their nests.

The clutch usually consists of 3 to 6 eggs, which are incubated by both the male and female for about 17 days. The chicks are fed with geckos, skinks, snails, frogs, crickets and dragonflies.

The hatchlings are altricial (without any down, blind and helpless) and they require care and feeding by the parents, who bring the food into the nesting chamber and keep them warm. However, the nestlings grow quickly and soon they are able to travel toward the entrance of the tunnel where they encounter the adults and wait to be fed. Eventually, they are fed on a perch near the entrance. Fledging can last a few days to a few weeks. After that, the chicks will be on their own and will feed themselves.

The young fledge (leave the nest) when they are about 20 days old. A second brood may be raised if the first nesting attempt was unsuccessful.

Diet / Feeding

Like other kingfisher species, the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher hunts from a perch. However, instead of fish (the typical diet of the kingfisher), it mainly feeds on insects, as well as small lizards or frogs, if the opportunity arises. Before eating lizards or frogs, it kills them by holding them in the beak and continually hitting them against a stone or tree stump.

Kingfishers are highly territorial birds. They will locate a prime area based on food sources, desirable perching trees and safe roosting sites. Like most birds, they will search for their food in the mornings and evenings. If the weather is cooler, they will also hunt for food during mid-day.

Cleanliness is important to Kingfishers; they will dive into the water to bathe, then fly to a perch to preen and dry their feathers in the sunlight. Some will even clean their heads using their wings. They will utilize a branch to clean their impressive bills, keeping them in excellent condition by scraping them back and forth.


The Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Ceyx erithaca also known as Black-backed Kingfisher, is one of the smallest known kingfisher species. Only slightly larger than a medium-sized hummingbird, it measures about 14 cm in length (including bill and tail) and weighs between 14–21 g. Males and females are alike and it is easily identified by its small size, brilliant orange-red bill, violet wash to the sides of its otherwise orange head,glossy bluish-black back and orange underparts. It inhabits shady jungle streams in moist deciduous and evergreen forests, where it feeds mainly on insects, small lizards and frogs. The breeding season in the South India (Western Ghats) is from June to September. Both birds take part in excavating a tunnel and nesting chamber in a stream bank,road cutting or terrestrial termitarium, often well away from water; clutch size 3–7 eggs.



Chicks are fed with geckos, skinks, snails, frogs, crickets and dragonflies