Dinopium benghalense
The Black-rumped Flameback (Dinopium benghalense) is a medium-sized, strikingly colored woodpecker, typically measuring 26-29 cm (10-11.4 inches) in length and weighing between 85-130 grams. Its most distinctive feature is the brilliant golden-yellow to flame-red back and rump, contrasting sharply with a black hindneck and black-and-white striped head. The underparts are white with intricate black scaling, while its sturdy, chisel-tipped bill is dark. Males are easily identified by a prominen...
This versatile woodpecker thrives in a variety of open woodland habitats, including deciduous and mixed forests, scrub jungles, gardens, plantations, and even urban parks. It is typically found from lowlands up to moderate elevations, generally not exceeding 2000 meters.
Its diet primarily consists of ants, termites, beetle larvae, and other wood-boring insects, which it extracts by drilling and probing. It also supplements its insectivorous diet with occasional fruit and nectar.
Black-rumped Flamebacks are diurnal birds, spending their nights roosting securely within tree cavities. Their foraging strategy primarily involves spiraling up tree trunks and branches, employing powerful hammer blows, probing with their long tongues, and gleaning insects from bark crevices. The...
The Black-rumped Flameback is a widespread resident species found across the vast expanse of the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Its core breeding and year-round range encompasses most of India, excluding the highest Himalayan reaches and extreme desert regions, extending through...
Least Concern
- The Black-rumped Flameback is one of the most widespread and commonly observed flameback species in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. - Its name comes from the dazzling golden-yellow or flame-red plumage on its back and rump, a truly unforgettable sight. - Unlike many bird species whe...