Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus
Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The greater flameback (Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus), also known as the greater goldenback or large golden-backed woodpecker, is a woodpecker species. It occurs widely in the northern Indian subcontinent, eastwards to southern China, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, western and central Java and northeast Borneo.
It has been suggested to split the greater flameback into the following species: Greater flameback, (C. guttacristatus) (C. lucidus if taken as a group and not split) Crimson-backed flameback, (C. stricklandi) of Sri Lanka
Javan flameback (C. strictus) of eastern Java, Bali, and Kangean Islands Luzon flameback (C. haematribon) of Luzon, Polillo, Catanduanes and Marinduque in the northern Philippines Yellow-faced flameback (C. xanthocephalus) of Negros, Guimaras, Panay, Masbate and Ticao, Philippine Islands
Buff-spotted flameback (C. lucidus) of Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Biliran, Panaon, Mindando, Basilan, and Samal, Philippine Islands Red-headed flameback (C. erythrocephalus) of Balabac, Palawan, Busuanga, and Calamian, Philippine Islands
Malabar flameback (C. socialis) of southwestern India The greater flameback is a large woodpecker, at 33 cm in... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 3 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 5 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Sundarbans National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 9 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 11 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 12 | Cuc Phuong National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 13 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 14 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 15 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dehradun | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Guwahati | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Kolkata | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Kuala Lumpur | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Flameback sighting in Khao Luang National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 168th most-seen of the 215 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Flameback in Khao Luang National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–July and September–April, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Greater Flameback sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
14th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Greater Flameback sightings, Khao Luang National Park ranks 14th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kaeng Krachan National Park (Thailand, about 30%), Royal Bardia National Park (Nepal, about 30%) and Khao Yai National Park (Thailand, about 20%).
Same family: Picidae
The closest relatives of the Greater Flameback that you can see in Khao Luang National Park (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are White-rumped Woodpecker (about 30%), Rufous Woodpecker (about 20%) and Banded Woodpecker (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Greater Flameback is recorded against all the birds logged in Khao Luang National Park (18 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
