Orange-Backed Woodpecker
Reinwardtipicus validus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusReinwardtipicus
- SpeciesReinwardtipicus validus (Orange-Backed Woodpecker)
About the Orange-Backed Woodpecker
The orange-backed woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes validus) is a bird in the woodpecker family Picidae, found in southern Thailand, Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysia, Brunei, Sumatra, and Java. It is a forest specialist that is found primarily in the canopy.
The orange-backed woodpecker was described and illustrated in 1825 by Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in his Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux from specimens that had been collected on the Indonesian island of Java. He coined the binomial name Pic validus. This species was previously placed in its own genus Reinwardtipicus. It is now one of ten species placed in the genus Chrysocolaptes that was introduced in 1843 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth.
Two subspecies are recognised: C. v. xanthopygius (Finsch, 1905) – the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo; C. v. validus (Temminck, 1825) – Java. BirdLife species factsheet for Chrysocolaptes validus "Reinwardtipicus validus". Avibase.
"Orange-backed woodpecker media". Internet Bird Collection. Interactive range map of Chrysocolaptes validus at IUCN Red List Audio recordings of Orange-backed... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Gunung Leuser National Park
Crimson-winged Woodpecker
Picus puniceus
Banded Woodpecker
Chrysophlegma miniaceum
Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker
Yungipicus moluccensis
Rufous Piculet
Sasia abnormis
Gray-and-buff Woodpecker
Hemicircus concretus
White-rumped Woodpecker
Meiglyptes tristis
White-bellied Woodpecker
Dryocopus javensis
Rufous Woodpecker
Micropternus brachyurus
Buff-necked Woodpecker
Meiglyptes tukki
Maroon Woodpecker
Blythipicus rubiginosus
Lesser Yellownape
Picus chlorolophus
Checker-throated Woodpecker
Chrysophlegma mentale
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 6 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 7 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Orange-Backed Woodpecker in Gunung Leuser National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Orange-Backed Woodpecker sighting in Gunung Leuser National Park, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Orange-Backed Woodpecker in Gunung Leuser National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Orange-Backed Woodpecker in Gunung Leuser National Park in our monthly data.