This tropical kingfisher is a partial migrant that is endemic to parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Mainland Southeast Asia.

It resides in lowland forests, typically near streams or ponds, where it feeds upon insects, spiders, worms, crabs, fish, frogs, and lizards.

It is easily distinguishable from other birds in its range due to its red bill, yellow-orange underparts, lilac-rufous upperparts, and blue-black back.

[3] Linnaeus based his account on "The small kingfisher from Bengall" that had been described and illustrated in 1738 by the English naturalist Eleazar Albin in his book A Natural History of Birds.

[8][9] Two subspecies are recognised:[5] Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) are a family of approximately 118 species belonging to the pantropical avian order Coraciiformes.

[10] Members of this family range in size from the 9g African dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx lecontei) to the 500g laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguinea).

Species in this genus are characterized by their terrestrial habitats, their diet which consists mostly of insects, their dorso-ventrally flattened orange bills and their more rufous upperparts.

[12] Within this genus, molecular data indicates that C. erithaca forms a well-supported clade of three-toed pygmy kingfishers that includes C. melanurus, C. lepidus, C. argentatus and C.

[15] Both males and females have a black spot on the forehead; blue and white patches on the side of the neck; a lilac-rufous crown, rump, and tail; a dark blue back and wings; a white chin and throat; pale yellow-orange underparts; a dark brown iris; and red legs, feet, and bill.

[15][13] Juveniles are duller and have less lilac colouring; a white chin, throat and belly; yellow-orange bill with pale tip; and blue scapulars and wing-coverts.

[15] The black-backed dwarf kingfisher is a forest and wetland-dwelling species that is endemic to parts of the Indian subcontinent and Mainland Southeast Asia.

The breeding range includes eastern Bangladesh, northeastern India, Myanmar, the extreme south of China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

[13][15] Nests are built in stream banks, road cuttings, terrestrial termitariums, or in soil near roots of a fallen tree,[13][17] often well away from water.

[17] Their diet consists primarily of insects, including mantises (Mantodea), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), flies (Diptera), water beetles (Dytiscidae), winged ants (Formicidae), mayflies (Ephemeroptera); but also includes spiders; worms (Oligochaeta); and small crabs, fish, frogs and lizards.

Black-backed dwarf kingfishers forage solitarily and perch in low vegetation or on rocks before flying out to capture prey from the ground or from among foliage.