Alternative names: Greater Goldenback; Greater Flame-backed Woodpecker
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Sat Tal Forest, Alt. 5500 ft., Nainital, Uttarakhand Himalayas, India, 19 October 2018
- Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus
Includes: Malabar Flameback
Identification
Size-33cm
Male: Red Crest
Female : Black Crest with white spots.
Similar Species
From Common Flameback by large size, largely white hindneck with black sides of neck, yellow iris, longer and more robust bill and thin black malar stripes separated by small white patch. Crest more shaggy and less pointed.
Distribution
Indian subcontinent through southeast Asia to Sumatra, parts of Java and Borneo.
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Sat Tal Forest, Alt. 5500 ft., Nainital, Uttarakhand Himalayas, India, 19 October 2018
Taxonomy
Luzon Flameback, Yellow-faced Flameback, Red-headed Flameback, Javan Flameback, Buff-spotted Flameback (keeping the old scientific name lucidus) and Crimson-backed Flameback were formerly included in this species.
Subspecies socialis may be split as "Malabar Flameback", C. socialis. In this case, remaining subspecies (andrewsi, guttacristatus, indomalayicus, sultaneus) become "Greater Flameback", C. guttacristatus (strict sense).
Subspecies
Taxa we include here which Clements recognises [1]:
- C. g. socialis: "Malabar Flameback". southwest India
- C. g. sultaneus: Himalayas foothills in northwestern India and western Nepal
- C. g. guttacristatus: foothills in east central Nepal east to southern China (Yunnan) and south to Bangladesh, eastern India (south to southeastern Madhya Pradesh and northern Andhra Pradesh), Thailand and Indochina
- C. g. indomalayicus: peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and west and central Java
- C. g. andrewsi: northeast Borneo
Habitat
Forests.
Behaviour
Frequents the canopy and middle story. Usualy in small noisy groups up to ten, even at nest. Sometimes solitary.
Vocalisation
A distinct series of sharp notes, di-di-di-di-di-di-.. reminiscent of large cicada.
Flight call similar to to Common Flameback.
Recording by Alok Tewari
Sat Tal, Alt 5500 ft., Uttarakhand Himalayas, India, April-2017
Inflight call in late evening. There is initial, brief overlap call by a Great Barbet.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Greater Flameback. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Greater_Flameback
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
