Blue-eared Kingfisher

A diminutive dark blue kingfisher with no rufous on the ear-patch. It has an orange spot in front of the eye, white ear tufts on the sides of the neck, and an ultramarine-blue head and neck with darker blue bands giving it a scaly appearance. Upperparts glossy dark blue with paler blue central band down the back to the rump. White chin and throat with deep orange underparts. Males have black bill with brownish-red base, while females have almost entirely red bill. Juvenile also has dark blue upperparts, but has rufous cheeks and ear-coverts similar to Common Kingfisher. Inhabits well-shaded waterways in forested areas.

The blue-eared kingfisher lives in dense, shaded forests in Asia, including areas near water in Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, the Blue-eared Kingfisher primarily feeds on small fish, crustaceans, dragonfly larvae, and other aquatic insects, often catching them by diving into the water from a perch near streams and rivers; they may also occasionally catch insects like grasshoppers and mantises while flying.