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Order: Piciformes    Family: Picidae       Conservation Status: Least Concern
Synonyms:  Common Goldenback

Description:

The Common Flameback is a medium sized woodpecker measuring 28 to 30 cm in length and weighing 67 to 90 grams. Adult birds are sexually dimorphic.

The adult male has an olive coloured back which sheens with a golden wash. The back feathers are edged with yellow and often have tinges of red or orange. The hind neck and upper mantle are black whilst the lower back and rump are bright red. The tail is black and the upper-tail coverts are blackish-brown, tinged with olive. Flight feathers are also blackish brown. The underparts are white with black scaling, which is most conspicuous on the breast. The underwing is brown with white spots and the under-tail is blackish brown.
The crown and crest of the head are red and finely lined with black. The forehead and upper lores are red-brown. The side of the head is white with a black stripe running from the eye to the nape and with a black moustachial stripe extending to the upper breast. A broad white stripe extends from the lores down to the sides of the neck and breast. The chin and throat are off-white and are spotted with small black dots. The bill is relatively short and is blackish with a pale base. The eyes are brownish with a narrow black eye-ring. Legs and toes are grey-brown with a greenish tinge.

The female adult is very similar to the male but with an overall duller appearance and a black crown and crest which are finely streaked with white.

Juvenile birds resemble adults and are also sexually dimorphic. Generally juveniles have a blackish-brown breast with white spots and greyer eyes when compared to the adult. Juvenile males have a black forehead and crown, only the crest is red. Juvenile females have pale streaks on their crowns.

Call and Vocalisation:

The Common Flameback has a range of calls ranging from an inflight “kwop-owp-owp-owp” to a “kow-kow” when perched. As with other woodpeckers it can also be heard drumming against tree trunks.

Common Flameback call
Common Flameback song

Range and Distribution:

The Common Flameback is found from South Asia (India, Bangladesh) through to South East Asia (Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia). Within this range the species is resident.

There are five recognised subspecies:

ssp. malabaricum – found in southwest India

ssp. intermedium – found in north east India, Bangladesh, south-central China, through Indochina and Myanmar

ssp. javanense – found through peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra, western Java, Borneo and the Riau Archipelago

ssp. borneonense – found in north east Borneo and the associated offshore islands

ssp. exsul – found in eastern Java and Bali

Habitat:

The Common Flameback frequents subtropical and tropical forests. It can often be seen in cultivated areas such as parks and gardens and is found at altitudes from sea-level to 1700 metres.

Diet:

Common Flamebacks are insectivorous, often seen in trees probing and pecking in bark crevices for insects and larvae. They will climb rapidly up the trunk and branches of a tree, pausing intermittently whilst climbing. Their diet is supplemented with fruits, seeds and berries. They are often seen feeding as a male / female pair.

Breeding:

The breeding season of the Common Flameback varies across its range. Courtship involves the male and female chasing each other through the trees, with the male trying to impress the female by raising his crest, bowing and swinging his head. He will also perform courtship feeding, bringing food to the female.
Nests are excavated holes in trees, typically constructed at a height of 5 metres above the ground.
A clutch of 2 to 3 eggs is typically laid.

Conservation Status:

There are currently no recorded threats to the Common Flameback which is locally common throughout its range.