Variable Dwarf Kingfisher

This is a Variable Dwarf Kingfisher, Ceyx lepidus margarethae, one of the seven small kingfishers that can be found in the Philippines. This resident gem is from the endemic subspecies margarethae and can can be found only in the islands of Negros, Cebu, Camiguin Sur, Mindanao and other smaller islands in the central and southern Philippines. Other subspecies of the Variable Dwarf-Kingfisher can be found in the Moluccas and New Guinea. This small, three-toed kingfisher generally prefers a more forested habitat perching low in the undergrowth and flies out fast like a blue bullet to catch insects and grubs on the ground. Unlike its equally stunning cousins the Indigo-banded and Silvery Kingfishers, this kingfisher is usually not associated with water, and usually dives into streams to bathe but not to forage. Variable Dwarf Kingfisher, Ceyx lepidus margarethae Mt. Kanlaon, Murcia, Negros, Philippines