Common flameback

Dinopium javanense

Photo by James Eaton (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:common flameback (en); pica-pau-de-dorso-vermelho (pt); pic à dos rouge (fr); pito culirrojo (es); feuerrückenspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is found in two separate areas, in south-western India and from north-eastern India and Bangladesh, through Indochina and into southern China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Size:
These birds are 28-30 cm long and weigh 67-100 g.

Habitat:
The common flameback is tropical moist forests, especially open, secondary forests, but also in dry deciduous woodlands, scrublands, mangroves, arable land, plantations and within urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.700 m.

Diet:
They eat small insects, such as ants and cockroaches, larvae and also small scorpions, which they catch by gleaning, probing and pecking on the lower levels of the trees.

Breeding:
Common flamebacks breed in November-July. They nest in a cavity excavated on the trunk of a tree, typically less than 5 m above the ground. The clutch consists of 2-3 eggs. there is no information regarding the incubation and fledgling periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally fairly common to uncommon. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.