Observation of Rufous-backed Oriental-Dwarf Kingfisher nesting in North Malaysia

The rufous-backed oriental dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca rufidorsa) is resident to the Malay peninsula and is believed to be a distinct species from the black-backed oriental dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca erithaca) [1]. 

A rufous-backed dwarf kingfisher rests under the sun

It is truly a blessing to find a pair of rufous-backed kingfishers nesting. While birdwatching at a site in North Malaysia, I observed an individual rufous-backed kingfisher stealthily fly into a small hole dug in an embankment beside a river. My friend and I waited for the bird to emerge from the hole but it remained in the hole for the 30 minutes that followed the moment of discovery. We concluded that the bird was probably incubating its eggs in the nest, so we left the site, this was on July 12th 2019.

We went back the following week to learn that the chicks have hatched and the parent birds were feeding the nestlings. Most of the food the parent birds brought back were cicadas or little spiders.

A pair of rufous-backed kingfishers bringing cicadas to feed their nestlings

I returned weekly to observe the food the parent birds fed the nestlings. As the nestlings grew, the prey got larger and larger. The parent birds were observed to feed more actively in the morning, rest during the noon hours and continue feeding in the early afternoon.
After about 3 weeks, the nestlings are ready to leave the nest... 

A large lizard was used to lure the chicks out of the nest, this was photographed one day before the chicks fledged (August 7th 2019)

In order to lure the chicks out of the nest, the parent bird baits the nestlings with food. This was initially not known until I scrutinized my videos and found that the parent bird left the nest without feeding the chicks the lizard it caught (above photo, video below).

The chicks fledged on August 8th 2019, about 3 weeks from hatching. We suspect that the chicks fledged a little ahead of schedule due to the proximity of the nest to a walkway frequently used by people who visit the spot.

I returned the day after the chicks fledged to observe the feeding behavior of the fledglings. The fledglings hid in the undergrowth while the parent birds continued to hunt and feed the fledglings. I could not get a direct photo of the fledglings, but managed to capture a couple of videos documenting the feeding process. Apparently, the fledglings are still learning to feed:

Update Aug 16th 2019: One week after the chicks fledged, the birds are no where to be seen. I do hear them calling, I believe they are hiding until the chicks are strong enough to fend for themselves.
This is a critical time in the fledgling's development period and they should NOT be disturbed, no call playing or searching for them, they will eventually come out when they are ready.

Just as a record, I waited for 1.5 and 5 hours straight on two separate days with no sightings.

I will continue to post updates as they become available...

(to be continued)

* Mr. Ben Lim and Mr. Zam took care and made frequent observations of the nesting site. In addition, Thank you to Mr. Harn Sheng Khor for joining me in the observing trips.

** Photos and videos were all taken using the Fuji X-H1 and XF100-400mm lens (some with the 1.4X tele-converter)

References:

[1] HBW alive: Oriental-dwarf kingfisher (https://www.hbw.com/species/oriental-dwarf-kingfisher-ceyx-erithaca), retrieved Aug 11th 2019.