Crimson-winged Woodpecker - BirdForum Opus

Photo by cskhaw
Kedah, Malaysia, January 2004

Picus puniceus

Identification

25 cm
Bright olive green upperparts and underparts contrasting with red wings together with red crown and yellow nuchal crest diagnostic. It has white streaks on the flanks.
Male has red malar stripes.

Distribution

South-east Asia: found in Indochina, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Malay Peninsula, Brunei, Singapore, Borneo, Indonesia, Greater Sundas, Sumatra, Java

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

Female with Juvenile
Photo by 996sps
Bukit Tinggi, Pahang, Malaysia, April 2007

There are 3 subspecies.

• P. p. observandus:

• Southern Burma and Peninsula Thailand to Sumatra, Borneo and Bangka Island

• P. p. soligae:

• Nias Island (off north-western Sumatra)

• P. p. puniceus:

• Java

Some authors place this species in genus Chrysophlegma

Habitat

Lowland forests, forests edges, coastal scrubs and plantations. Broadleaved evergreen jungle and secondary growth.
Frequents the middle and lower storeys.

Behaviour

Vocalisation

"Drums" in short bursts.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. BF Member Observations
4. Birdforum thread discussing the generic placement of this species (post 14-17)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Crimson-winged Woodpecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Crimson-winged_Woodpecker

External Links

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