Lesser Sri Lanka Flameback
Dinopium psarodes
Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusDinopium (Dinopium Flamebacks)
- SpeciesDinopium psarodes (Lesser Sri Lanka Flameback)
About the Lesser Sri Lanka Flameback
The Red-backed flameback, Lesser Sri Lanka flameback, Sri Lanka red-backed woodpecker or Ceylon red-backed woodpecker (Dinopium psarodes) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka, only absent in the far-north. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Black-rumped flameback.
It has been considered an endemic species since the time of Legge. It was first placed in the genus Brachypternus as Brachypternus ceylonus. It was later lumped as subspecies of the Black-rumped flameback (Dinopium benghalense), as Dinopium benghalense psarodes. It was elevated to full species status in a study by Sampath S. Seneviratne, Darren E. Irwin, and Saminda P. Fernando.
In this study, it was found to hybridize with the Black-rumped flameback. The hybridization is concentrated north of a border from Trincomalee to the base of Puttalam lagoon and south of a border from Mullaitivu to Mannar. Hybridization is less out of this border, where the Black-rumped flameback dominates north of the border while the Red-backed flameback dominates south of the border. It is a case of Hybrid inferiority, in which the pure species are more successful than the hybrids... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Lesser Sri Lanka Flameback in Sinharaja Forest Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Black-rumped Flameback
Dinopium benghalense
Lesser Yellownape
Picus chlorolophus
Crimson-backed Flameback
Chrysocolaptes stricklandi
Brown-capped Woodpecker
Yungipicus nanus
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker
Leiopicus mahrattensis
White-naped Woodpecker
Chrysocolaptes festivus
Rufous Woodpecker
Micropternus brachyurus
Yellow-fronted Barbet
Psilopogon flavifrons
Crimson-fronted Barbet
Psilopogon rubricapillus
Brown-headed Barbet
Psilopogon zeylanicus
Coppersmith Barbet
Psilopogon haemacephalus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 4 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 5 | Horton Plains National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Sri Lanka Flameback in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Sri Lanka Flameback sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, based on 675 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Lesser Sri Lanka Flameback in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
June has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Sri Lanka Flameback in Sinharaja Forest Reserve in our monthly data.