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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfisher	Common Kingfisher
Scientific Name	Ceyx rufidorsa	Alcedo atthis
Order	Coraciiformes	Coraciiformes
Family	Alcedinidae	Alcedinidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	—	17.0 cm (6.7 in)
Wingspan	—	25.0 cm (9.8 in)
Weight	17.033333333333335 g (0.60 oz)	36.0 g (1.27 oz)
Diet	--	Small fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans. Hunts from a low perch over water, diving headfirst …
Clutch Size	2-3	3-10
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfisher —

Common Kingfisher 17.0 cm

Wingspan

Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfisher —

Common Kingfisher 25.0 cm

Weight

Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfisher 17.033333333333335 g

Common Kingfisher 36.0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🏖️ Coastal

Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfisher only

🌲 Forest

Common Kingfisher only

🌾 Grassland 🌿 Wetland

Common Kingfisher

Clear, slow-flowing rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds with suitable perching and nesting banks. Requires clean water with good fish populations.

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Song & Call Comparison

Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfisher

Common Kingfisher

Song

A sharp, penetrating 'chee' whistle given in flight, often the first indication of its presence. Short, shrill single note as it darts low over rivers. Contact call is a rippling …

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Geographic Range & Migration

Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfisher

Common Kingfisher

Widespread across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Northern populations migrate south in winter.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfisher

Least Concern

Common Kingfisher

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How to Tell Them Apart

Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfisher

Common Kingfisher

Plumage

Brilliant electric blue upperparts and orange underparts. Blue-green crown with darker barring. White throat patch and cheek spots. A flash of blue in flight.

Bill

Long, straight, dagger-like dark bill — orange base on the lower mandible in females

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About These Birds

Rufous-backed Dwarf-kingfisher

Common Kingfisher

The common kingfisher is a dazzling jewel of waterways, its iridescent blue plumage caused by light refraction in the feather structure rather than pigment. These birds inspired the design of the Shinkansen bullet train in Japan — the shape of their bill was copied to reduce sonic booms when trains exit tunnels.

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