Saturday 20 August 2011

Common Flameback (Dinopium javanense)

Common Flameback woodpecker or previously named "common goldenback" is a woodpecker said to be widely distributed in Asian region (Bangladesh, India, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Borneo, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam). Its habitats ranges from lowland forest up to 800 m, rural gardens, plantations and mangroves. Despite that and although IUCN has listed it as "least concern", you would not be able to see it in every trail. It is a fully protected bird under the local law (Act 76/72) and locally called "belatok pinang muda".  Here are some of its photos taken recently in Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP):




The pictures above are male Common Flamebacks. Male has red crown while female ones have black crown. There are 3 quick ways to differentiate between a Common Flameback and a Greater Flameback in the field. Here are the 3 distinguish features:
This first thing which you should look is behind its neck. Common Flamebacks have an all black hindneck while a greater flameback has whitish circles in the centre of its hindneck.

The second thing which you should spot is just below its red crown. A greater flameback has a thick black line below its crown. In this picture, you can't see any any thick black line below its crown side.

The third thing which you could spot is to see its bill. Greater flamebacks are said to have longer bills than this one.


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