Ceyx erithaca
Silhouette: Rachael Joakim · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The black-backed dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca), also known as the three-toed kingfisher, is a pocket-sized bird in the family Alcedinidae. It was formerly considered as conspecific with the rufous-backed dwarf kingfisher and together the species complex was known by the English name "oriental dwarf kingfisher".
This tropical kingfisher is a partial migrant that is endemic to parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Mainland Southeast Asia. It resides in lowland forests, typically near streams or ponds, where it feeds upon insects, spiders, worms, crabs, fish, frogs, and lizards. It is easily distinguishable from other birds in its range due to its red bill, yellow-orange underparts, lilac-rufous upperparts, and blue-black back.
The black-backed kingfisher was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the other kingfishers in the genus Alcedo and coined the binomial name Alcedo erithaca. The specific epithet is from Latin erithacus meaning "robin" and hence "red-breasted". Linnaeus based his account on "The small kingfisher from Bengall" that had been described and illustrated... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Tanjung Puting National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 7 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 9 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 11 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 12 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 13 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 14 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 15 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 16 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 17 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 18 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 19 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 20 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 21 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher sighting in Khao Sok National Park on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 139th most-seen of the 213 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher in Khao Sok National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
10th of 21
Of the 21 parks where we can rate Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher sightings, Khao Sok National Park ranks 10th at under 5%. The best odds are in Sepilok (Malaysia, about 40%), Way Kambas National Park (Indonesia, about 30%) and Tanjung Puting National Park (Indonesia, about 20%).
Same family: Alcedinidae
The closest relatives of the Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher that you can see in Khao Sok National Park (family Alcedinidae, Kingfishers) are White-throated Kingfisher (about 20%), Banded Kingfisher (about 20%) and Rufous-collared Kingfisher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher is recorded against all the birds logged in Khao Sok National Park (43 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
