Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher

A brilliantly colored, tiny forest kingfisher with a coral-red dagger bill. It has a dark blue back and wings and pale orange underparts. Crown is fuschia-red, with a dark spot on the forehead and blue and white patches on the side of the neck. Chin and throat are white. Found along drying hill streams, and often away from water sources. Flight is swift and direct, as the bird expertly maneuvers through thick vegetation. Gives piercing high, thin calls, often when in flight. the Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher is considered rare in Sri Lanka;

In Sri Lanka, the Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher primarily inhabits lowland forests, particularly near streams or ponds, often found in the southwestern part of the island, typically in dense undergrowth within primary and secondary evergreen and deciduous forests; they may also be seen in mangroves and overgrown plantations.

In Sri Lanka, the Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher primarily eats a diet consisting of insects like grasshoppers, flies, water beetles, winged ants, and mantises, along with small fish, frogs, spiders, worms, small crabs, and occasionally small lizards; they are known to forage near water but can also hunt further away from water sources, often perching on low vegetation before capturing prey on the ground or in foliage.