April 02, 2025

বাংলা

Wildlife

Oriental dwarf kingfisher: a rainbow of colours

Bangladesh is home to 12 species of kingfishers, the smallest of which is the oriental dwarf kingfisher. The small bird, distinguished by its orange-yellow underparts, dark-red eyes, and red beak, was photographed by Abu Sayed Mohammad Sarwar at the Adampur Beat of Rajkandi Reserve Forest in Moulvibazar.

Abu Sayed Mohammad Sarwar

bdnews24.com

Published : 14 Sep 2022, 11:31 AM

Updated : 14 Sep 2022, 11:31 AM

The oriental dwarf kingfisher is the smallest among all kingfishers in Bangladesh. The average length of the bird from beak to tail is only 13 centimetres.

The back, shoulders, and wings of the oriental dwarf kingfisher are bluish-black. Its waist and tail are orange, and throat white. The bird boasts an orange-yellow belly, dark-red eyes, and red beak and feet. An adult dwarf kingfisher has an orange head and neck. The male and female varieties of the bird are different from one another in appearance.

The oriental dwarf kingfisher can be found in Rangamati’s Kaptai National Park, Habiganj‘s Satchari, Moulvibazar’s Lawachara National Park, and Rajkandi Reserve Forest’s Adampur Beat.

Apart from Bangladesh, the dwarf kingfisher is also found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The bird is protected under the Wildlife Act of Bangladesh.

The dwarf kingfishers usually roam alone. They like to reside on tree branches overlooking water bodies. They stay near water for long periods to hunt for food.

The dwarf kingfisher preys on small fishes, crabs, snails and various types of insects. Their breeding season runs from July to September. They build their nests by making tunnels on the banks of the river.

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