Common Flameback

Common Flameback

Dinopium javanense

Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

57 Verified sightings at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary From 2019 to 2026
2,707 In all 13 parks
October Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Common Flameback

The common flameback (Dinopium javanense), also referred to as the common goldenback, is a small (28–30 cm), three-toed woodpecker in the family Picidae, found throughout South and Southeast Asia. The common flameback is closely related with almost all members of the Dinopium species, which include 4 other species; the Himalayan flameback (D. shorii), the spot-throated flameback (D. everetti), the black-rumped flameback (D. benghalense), and the red-backed flameback (D. psarodes). The olive-backed woodpecker (Gecinulus rafflesii) was formerly classified in Dinopium but is more closely related to the pale-headed woodpecker (Gecinulus grantia), and was thus reclassified into Gecinulus.

The common flameback is most closely related to the Himalayan flameback and the spot-throated flameback, even being lumped with the spot-throated flameback until recently. These two species differ in the degree of spottiness, as despite their names, the common flameback has a higher degree of spotting on the upper breast than the plain upper breast of spot-throated flameback. Additionally, the common flameback shares a unique morphological feature with two other woodpeckers, this being the... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:05

Singapore · 2026

© Joan Theng · XC1186859 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Begging call1:00

Singapore · 2025

© Ding Li Yong · XC1065220 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Flight call0:25

Malaysia · 2024

© Lim Ying Hien · XC918808 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~40%
2 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
3 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
4 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
5 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
6 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
7 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
8 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
9 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
10 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
11 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
12 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
13 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~30%
2 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
~20%
3 Johor Bahru 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
4 Jakarta 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
5 Bangkok 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Gembira Loka Zoo 🇮🇩 Indonesia In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Flameback in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Flameback sighting in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, based on 57 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 131st most-seen of the 231 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.

When is the best time to see a Common Flameback in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Flameback in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Common Flameback?

Between 2 and 5 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Flameback sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary the best place to see a Common Flameback?

8th of 13

Of the 13 parks where we can rate Common Flameback sightings, Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Cat Tien National Park (Vietnam, about 40%), Kaeng Krachan National Park (Thailand, about 30%) and Bali Barat National Park (Indonesia, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Common Flameback live in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

Same family: Picidae

The closest relatives of the Common Flameback that you can see in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are Great Slaty Woodpecker (about 10%), White-bellied Woodpecker (about 10%) and Banded Woodpecker (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Flameback sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Flameback is recorded against all the birds logged in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (57 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.

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