Greater Flameback

The Greater flameback has an erect crest and a long neck. The Greater flameback subspecies look different, the Greater flameback has unmarked golden-yellow to dark brown back and wings.

The Greater flameback has a red rump and black tail. The undertail coverts of the Greater flameback are white with dark chevrons, striples and bands or light brown.

The head of the Greater flameback is whitish and can have patterns of black, yellow, brown and red. The Greater flameback's bill is longer than the head, the legs of the Greater flameback are four-toed zygodactyl feet or two toes pointing forward and two backward which are lead-grey. Tge irises of the Greater flameback are whitish to yellow.

The adult male greater flameback has a red crown while the adult female Greater flameback has a crown varying in subspecies like black spotted with white, yellow, or brown with light dots, the young Greater flamebacks are like the adult female Greater flameback but are duller and has brown irises.

They belong to the Kingdom Animalia, the Phylum is Chordata, the Class is Aves, the Order is Piciformes, the Family is Picidae, the Genus is Chrysocolaptes, the Binomial name is Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus.

Measurements - The Greater flameback is 33 cm in length, they weigh 450 to 680 grams.

Taxonomy - It maybe split into these species...
Crimson-backed flameback (Chrysocolaptes stricklandi) of Sri Lanka.

Malabar flameback (Chrysocolaptes socialis) of southwestern India.

Sounds - A constant wood-clapping sound is what this bird makes.

Diet - The Greater flameback uses its bill to dig out food from trees, the zygodactyl feet and stiff tail of the Greater flameback support against tree trunks, the tongue of the Greater flameback is darted forward to extract wood-boring arthropod prey, the Greater flameback feeds mainly on small invertebrates, the Greater flameback also can drink nectar.

Habitat - The Greater flameback is found in the northern Indian subcontinent.

The Greater flameback is found in a diversity of open forests like the foothills of the Himalayas and the Western Ghats, Greater flamebacks are found in mangrove forest.

Breeding & Nesting - They nest in tree holes, the adult female Greater flameback can lay three to four white eggs.

Threats, Predators & Conservation Status - The population of the Greater flameback is stable. As of now, it does not seem to be at risk.

Evolution - The Greater flameback has Convergent evolution in plumage between a larger and a smaller species. It is maybe because of atavism of plesiomorphic pattern.