Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

 The oriental dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca), also known as the black-backed kingfisher, is a tiny bird only slightly bigger than a hummingbird. They live in southeast Asia, where they inhabit evergreen and deciduous forests near streams and ponds. They stay low to the ground, where they perch and wait for prey to come close before darting out and snatching their meal. Learn everything there is to know about the oriental kingfisher, including where they live, what they eat, and how they behave. 

5 Amazing Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Facts

• They build their nests in underground tunnels that lead to an inclined egg chamber.
• This kingfisher species has three toes!
• Their population is decreasing from ongoing habitat destruction.
• The oriental dwarf is one of the smallest kingfishers.
• They migrate at night in large flocks.

Where to Find the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

Oriental dwarf kingfishers live in Asia in 15 countries, such as China, India, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. Most populations are sedentary in their environments, but others in the northernmost region of their range migrate south for the winter. They inhabit forest and wetland habitats but are most commonly found in evergreen and deciduous forests. They like to live near forest streams and ponds with plenty of canopy shade. However, they keep their nests far away from water. Look for them low to the ground, where they perch and fly out to catch prey.

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Nest

They build their nests in stream banks or soil near the roots of a fallen tree. Both sexes dig a tunnel leading to an unlined egg chamber, which they build at an incline to help with drainage from water and waste.

Scientific Name

The oriental dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca) belongs to the Coraciiformes order in the Alcedinidae family, which encompasses the kingfishers primarily found in Africa and Asia. The Ceyx genus includes the river kingfishers from southeast Asia. There are three recognized subspecies of oriental dwarf kingfisher: C. e. Erithaca, C. e. Macrocarus, and C. e. motleyi.

Size, Appearance, & Behavior

The oriental kingfisher is a pocket-sized bird and one of the smallest kingfisher species. It measures four to six inches long and weighs 0.4 to 0.7 ounces, with an unknown wingspan. Males and females are similar in size and feature the same coloring: lilac crowns, rumps, and tails, dark blue and black wings, white chins and throats, yellow-orange underparts, red legs, feet, and bills, and black forehead spots. This kingfisher species has three toes and is sometimes referred to as the “three-toed kingfisher.”

This bird is mainly solitary, preferring to forage and perch alone. However, they form monogamous pairs during breeding, and some may join large flocks during migration. Their vocalizations include loud, high-pitched shrills and softer calls when in flight. And these little birds are swift and agile when hunting prey, but their exact speed is unknown. 

Migration Pattern and Timing

These kingfishers are residents throughout most of their range. But the northernmost populations in Bangladesh and Myanmar will migrate south for the winter in Malaysia. They travel at night in large flocks from August to December.

Diet

The oriental dwarf kingfisher is a carnivore who forages alone on a low perch.

What Does the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Eat?

Their diet consists of mantises, grasshoppers, mayflies, winged ants, water beetles, and flies. They also eat spiders, worms, crabs, lizards, frogs, and small fish. This bird is a solitary hunter that forages from a post in low vegetation, flying out to capture its prey. They may also catch insects midflight, snatch spiders from their web, and pluck fish just below the water’s surface. They take larger creatures back to their perch, striking them with their beaks before consuming them.

Predators, Threats, and Conservation Status

The IUCN lists the oriental dwarf kingfisher as LC or “least concern.” Due to its extensive range, this species does not meet the “threatened” status thresholds. Their population is decreasing but not rapidly enough to meet vulnerable levels. Clearing of their forest habitat is their biggest threat, and their decrease is likely to continue from human activity. Their other hazards include pollution, hunting, electrocution from power lines, collision, exhaustion, and starvation.

Roodborst / Robin

 Robin 

The robin is one of the most recognizable birds in the United States. You almost certainly have seen a robin in your yard, no matter where you live in America. The songbird is ubiquitous across the country. There is also the European robin, another incredibly recognizable garden bird found throughout Europe. However, throughout this article, we’ll focus on the American robin. 

Aside from their beautiful exteriors, robins are also known for being associated with the start of spring. Seeing a robin is usually a good indication that spring is coming. 

The lifespan of a robin who lives past its first year is 5-6 years in the wild. However, in captivity, they have been recorded to live for as long as 14-17 years old. 

The life expectancy of a robin greatly increases if it survives to at least a year old. This is because robin offspring are often quite susceptible to environmental stressors. In fact, only around a quarter of baby robins survive their first year. However, once they surpass the first year, a robin would have acquired many important life skills that would help them to survive. 

The robin’s lifespan is incredibly fragile during the first year, and it is this time that determines how long they will actually survive. Curious about how a robin goes from an egg to an adult songbird? Let’s find out! 

The Average Robin Life Cycle 

The robin life cycle is quite similar to many other bird species. Find out what the common life cycle stages are and how you might better sight a baby robin. 

Mating

At one year old, robins are already considered adults and are able to reproduce. Mating occurs mainly from late March to June. Robins have a courting ritual in which the male sings to and then feeds the female. Male robins will sing to announce that they are looking for a mate. Once they find a mate, they will sing to assert their territory. This occurs just before the eggs hatch.

Eggs 

The female will begin to construct her nest so that she may begin laying the eggs. During their initial nesting season, most robins will only lay around 3 to 4 eggs. Sometimes just two eggs are laid in the second and third nestings of the season. Robin eggs are instantly recognizable because of their beautiful blue color. After the last egg is laid, incubation lasts 12-14 days.

Twelve to fourteen days after the last egg is laid, the first baby hatches. Eggs typically hatch one day apart, in the sequence in which they were laid. These new baby birds are called hatchlings. For the next 13 days, the parents will be the main source of care for the babies. Both parents feed the young and they can have some hearty appetites. During the first four days of a hatchling’s existence, the parent birds regurgitate partially digested food into the mouth of each infant. Every day, the hatchlings consume more. Soon they are fed whole worms and large insects.

Fledgling

When baby robins are around 13 days old, they are ready to leave the nest. This means they have reached the fledgling stage, where they begin to learn to fly. When baby robins leave the nest, they are unable to fly well. To become powerful fliers, they must develop muscles and grow adult feathers. The parents will still continue to feed them for a few days, but once the mom leaves to lay new eggs, they are all on their own. 

Adult 

To reach adulthood, a robin must reach a full year of life. To accomplish this, they will often fly with a flock of experienced robins. The robin will continue to fly and find new ways to get food. They will then begin to prepare for winter, as many of them migrate to warmer areas during this time. 

What Factors Impact the Robin Lifespan

There are many external and environmental factors that will impact a robin’s lifespan. A young American Robin’s chances of survival improve if it survives its first winter. However, even if they do survive, robins do not wind up living very long in general. To learn more about what impacts how long a robin may live, keep reading.

Predators: robins fall prey to many predators, even when they’re still only in their eggs. There are a large number of predators that will attempt to steal robin eggs from their mother’s nest. These include squirrels, snakes, crows, blue jays, and even raccoons. Once again, robins are susceptible to becoming prey. Hawks, shrikes, and owls all hunt down robins. Cats are also another predator that robins have to watch out for. 

Food Availability: food availability issues can become a serious one for robins. When robins migrate during the winter it’s not usually because they can’t handle the winter. In fact, their feathers can keep them quite warm during the cold, harsh weather. The true incentive is food, or rather the lack thereof. As their diet of earthworms and insects dwindles because of the weather, robins start looking for new food. American Robins continue to be poisoned by pesticides because they graze on lawns and other open areas frequently treated with chemicals.

Collisions: every year, a few migratory robins are killed by communications towers. Other typical risks for a robin include collisions with glass, electrocution, and automobile strikes.