SEAVR 2023: 003‐004
ISSN: 2424‐8525
Date of publication: 12 January 2023
Hosted online by ecologyasia.com

Record of Dimorphic Dwarf Kingfisher, Ceyx margarethae Blasius 1890
(Coraciiformes: Alcedinidae) in Balogo sub‐watershed, CALSANAG Forest
Reserve, Tablas Island, Philippines
Gregorio FLORENDO JR. and Ace Kevin S. AMARGA
gregflorendo19@gmail.com (Florendo, Jr.), ace_amarga061@yahoo.com (Amarga)

Collaborators: Juniel G. Lucidos, Almaiza Marie Rodeo, Hannah Gan, Reymark Manoy, Gregorio Florendo, Jr.,
Raymond Inocencio.
Photograph by: Reymark Manoy.
Subject identified by: Ace Kevin S. Amarga, Desmond Allen.
Location: Tablas Island, Balogo sub‐watershed, Calatrava‐San Andres‐San Agustin (CALSANAG) Watershed Forest
Reserve, Municipality of San Andres, Romblon Province, Philippines.
Elevation: 250 metres ASL.
Habitat: Lowland secondary forest and agroforest.
Date and time: 20 September 2018, 06: 00 hrs. (retrieved from the net).
Identity of subject:
Dimorphic Dwarf Kingfisher, Ceyx margarethae Blasius 1890 (Aves: Coraciiformes: Alcedinidae).
Description of record:
An adult Ceyx margarethae (Fig. 1) was captured in a mist net established near forest edge within a semi‐closed
canopy area near the camp of the Balogo sub‐watershed study site. The captured specimen was immediately
released back to the wild after identification and photographic documentation.

Figure 1. Ceyx margarethae from Balogo sub‐watershed, CALSANAG Forest Reserve.

3© Reymark Manoy

Remarks:
Following the morphological description provided by Allen (2020), the specimen was identified as Ceyx
margarethae. The morphological attributes according to Allen (2020) are as follows: adult has lores, malar stripe
and breast‐sides bright rufous, white patch behind ear‐coverts, head and upperparts from electric aquamarine blue
to bright metallic cobalt blue, or mix of both with black; flight feathers are black and edged blue on secondaries;
throat buff‐white, breast and belly rufous‐yellow; bills, legs, and feet reddish orange to scarlet. Furthermore, thisspecies is part of the Ceyx lepidus species complex, a group of phenotypically diverse species group native to thePhilippines extending to Wallacea, New Guinea and Melanesia (Andersen et al. 2013).
Ceyx margarethae is an endemic species in the Philippines and known to occur in several islands including Tablas,Romblon, Sibuyan, Negros, Panay, Cebu, Siquijor, Semirara, Camiguin Sur, Dinagat, Mindanao, Basilan, and Sulu
archipelago (Allen 2006; Andersen et al. 2013; Allen 2020; Lepage 2021). It inhabits lowland areas of primary andsecondary forests and is usually found on undergrowth (BirdLife International 2016; Allen 2020). It feeds on small
fishes and insects as observed from the remains in its gut contents (del Hoyo et al. 2020). Furthermore, Allen (2020)noted that this species is a local resident and common on small islands.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed this species as Least Concern. This report
represents the first account of C. margarethae in Balogo sub‐watershed.
Permit: This finding is in part of the Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring System (BAMS) conducted in
CALSANAG Watershed Forest Reserve through the Monitoring and Detection of Ecosystems Changes for Enhancing
Resilience and Adaptation in the Philippines (MODECERA) Research Program with the Romblon State University–Odiongan Campus.
References:Allen, D. (2006) New records and other observations of birds on the island of Tablas, Romblon province, Philippines.
Forktail 22: 77‐87.
Allen, D. (2020) Birds of the Philippines. Lynx and BirdLife International Field Guides. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain,
400 pp.
Andersen, M.J., Oliveros, C.H., Filardi, C.E., Moyle, R.G. (2013) Phylogeography of the variable dwarf‐kingfisher Ceyx
Lepidus (Aves: Alcedinidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. The Auk 130(1): 118‐131.
BirdLife International (2016) Ceyx margarethae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016:e.T22726601A95229191. Accessed 27 October 2022.
Del Hoyo, J.N., Collar, N., Kirwan, G.M. (2020) Dimorphic dwarf‐kingfisher (Ceyx margarethae), version 1.0. In: delHoyo et al (eds.) Birds of the World, Cornell Lab or Ornithology, New York, USA.
https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.vardwk1.01. Accessed 27 October 2022.
Lepage, D. (2021) Bird checklist of the world: Dinagat. Avibase. https://avibase.bsc‐eoc.org/avibase.jsp?lang=EN.
Accessed 27 October 2022.

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