FORTUNATELY SMALL
The North Philippine Kingfisher is the smallest and one of the most colorful Kingfishers in the country. Their total length is less than 5 inches, enough to fit in my hand.
Thanks to their small size and generally secretive nature, despite the striking coloration, they are one of the most difficult bird species to observe in the wild. It actually took me more than 30 trips to the Southern tip of Sierra Madre to finally document this beautiful avian gem.
This tiny Kingfisher, like all other River Kingfishers, are found near streams, especially those found in the deeper regions of the forest. They spend their time hanging out on the overhang branches of trees, hunting for amphibians, lizards and insects.
The ravine surrounding these bodies of water are their favorite breeding spot, carving a deep hole in the muddy parts of the ravine to house their nest.
NAMED AFTER A LOVE STORY
The North Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher belongs to the genus Ceyx in honor of King Ceyx from Greek mythology.
According to the myth, Ceyx, the King of Trachis, and his wife Alcyone were so deeply in love with each other that they often called themselves Zeus and Hera. This insulted the Gods, specifically Zeus, who in his wrath caused King Ceyx to drown in a shipwreck.
Grief-stricken, Alcyone threw herself into the sea. The gods, moved by their enduring love, turned both Ceyx and Alcyone into Kingfishers.
Inspired by the myth, ornithologists have assigned “Ceyx” as the genus for the colorful River Kingfishers from Southeast Asia to the Solomon Islands, and “Halcyon” as the genus for the colorful Tree Kingfishers from Africa and Asia.
FINDING A FAMILY
My rare encounter with this elusive bird species came when we found a North Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher with mud on his beak and face. We immediately deduced that they might be nesting nearby, and the area where we found him might be one of his hunting spots.
True enough, after going back to the area several times, we continued to see the Kingfisher and his mate for months until after their chicks had fledged, much to the delight of the birding community, especially those who haven’t had the chance to see them in the wild.
After which, the Kingfisher family went back deep into the forest, resuming its elusive ways.
STILL AT RISK
The North Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher can be found only in the Philippines, specifically in Luzon, Alabat Island, Catanduanes, and Polilo. They were previously classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Vulnerable.
Recent updates on the IUCN’s methods and assessments have since reclassified the North Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher as being of “Least Concern,” believing that more of them must be in remote regions of the Philippines despite encounters being extremely rare.
Their population though is still believed to be on the decline due to the wholesale clearance of forests and leveling of mountain ranges for human activities, such as mining, farming, and community building.
From personal experience and stories of other chance encounters in the Sierra Madre, I observed that they seem to be able to adapt to some level of human disturbance. They continue to roam areas near human settlements where most of the forest and natural landscape remains intact. This means, it is possible for us to co-exist with these beautiful Kingfishers if only we could include them in our plans for progress.
LONG LIVE THE KINGFISHER
Currently, there is no specific conservation program for the North Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher. But Mother Nature has already provided us a blueprint of how to save and protect this one-of-a-kind marvel from the Gods. We need only to start listening.
