Greater Flameback

The greater flameback, also known as the greater goldenback or large golden-backed woodpecker, is a large woodpecker, 33cm long, of typical woodpecker shape with an erect crest and a long neck. Coloration varies greatly between subspecies, but the back and wings are always unmarked golden-yellow to dark brown, the rump red and the tail black. Young birds are like the females but duller, with brown irises (Wikipedia, general species account).

It occurs widely in the northern Indian subcontinent, eastwards to southern China, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, western and central Java and north-east Borneo, in a diversity of rather open forest habitats. It nests in tree holes, laying three or four white eggs. In Malaysian mangrove forest it has been found to prefer tall Avicennia alba for foraging (Wikipedia, general species account).