Red-backed Flameback
Dinopium psarodes
The Red-backed Flameback (Dinopium psarodes) is a rare woodpecker found only in Sri Lanka, weighing about 97 g. The Red-backed flameback, Lesser Sri Lanka flameback, Sri Lanka red-backed woodpecker or Ceylon red-backed woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae.
About the Red-backed Flameback
The Red-backed flameback, Lesser Sri Lanka flameback, Sri Lanka red-backed woodpecker or Ceylon red-backed woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka, only absent in the far-north. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Black-rumped flameback.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
About 28 centimetres (11 in) in length. Mostly crimson with black trailing edges to wings. underparts white with messy black marks. The breast and neck are black with white spots on the throat and white streaks on the breast. A black eyestripe stretches to the back of the neck and diffuses into the nape and upper back, with white streaks between the eye and neck. It has a red crown, with the forecrown and forehead black speckled with white in females. The eye is hidden among the black eyestripe. It has a fairly sized grey bill, which forms a blunt point.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Red-backed Flameback can be seen all year round, with peak activity in December. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Red-backed Flameback?
- About 28 centimetres (11 in) in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Red-backed Flameback?
- The Red-backed Flameback is a medium sized bird weighing about 97 g.
- Where can you see a Red-backed Flameback?
- The Red-backed Flameback is endemic to Sri Lanka, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Red-backed Flameback?
- The Red-backed Flameback is most easily confused with the Himalayan Flameback, the Common Flameback and the Spot-throated Flameback.
- Is the Red-backed Flameback endangered?
- The Red-backed Flameback is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Red-backed Flameback for real
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