This small kingfisher occurs on Makira in the Solomon Islands. The account treats Ceyx gentianus separately from the grouping in which it was formerly included, Variable Dwarf Kingfisher.
It is a very small kingfisher, 11–13 cm long; the sexes are alike according to the account.
It is often solitary near streams and rivers and feeds on insects caught in flight, spiders, and crickets.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.