Chrysocolaptes socialis
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The Malabar flameback (Chrysocolaptes socialis) is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of India. It was previously considered a subspecies of the greater flameback (C. guttacristatus), but was split as a distinct species by the International Ornithological Congress in 2022 based on a 2021 study noting differences in plumage and vocalizations between both species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Eravikulam National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Malabar Flameback sighting in Periyar National Park on a given day, based on 1,440 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 26th most-seen of the 227 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Malabar Flameback in Periyar National Park on a given day, against about 10% in July and August, the lowest months. That is one of Periyar National Park's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain against 410 mm in August.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Malabar Flameback sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Malabar Flameback sightings, Periyar National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Nagarhole National Park (India, about 20%) and Mudumalai National Park (India, about 20%).
Same family: Picidae
The closest relatives of the Malabar Flameback that you can see in Periyar National Park (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are Black-rumped Flameback (about 40%), Heart-spotted Woodpecker (about 20%) and Rufous Woodpecker (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Malabar Flameback is recorded against all the birds logged in Periyar National Park (1,440 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.
