Common Flameback

Alternative Name: Common Goldenback; includes Spot-throated Flameback

Photo by Dr Manjeet Singh
Kuala Selangor Nature Park, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 2005

Dinopium javanense

Identification

Size - 30cm (12in)
Golden mantle and wings, red lower back and rump, white face with two black malar strips and largely black hindneck with white sides of neck together with whitish underparts marked with blackish scales, distinctive. Throat and face tinged rufous or buff. Has three toes. Brown iris.
Male: Crown and pointed crest red
Female: Crown and crest black with whitish spots from forehead to the tip of the crest.

Female
jweeyh
Singapore, July 2007

Similar Species

Difficult to separate from Greater Flameback (Goldenback) from lateral view, especially at a distance. Best separated by colour of iris and hindneck pattern.

Distribution

Asia: found from India to Indochina; Greater Sundas; Philippines.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 6 subspecies^[1]:

• D. j. malabaricum:

• In wet woodlands of western India

• D. j. intermedium:

• In Bangladesh and Assam to Burma, south-western China and Indochina

• D. j. javanense:

• From Peninsular Thailand to Sumatra, Riau Archaepelago, western Java and Borneo

• D. j. exsul:

• On Eastern Java and Bali

• D. j. raveni:

• On Eraban Island and adjacent north-eastern Borneo

• D. j. everetti:

• On Southern Philippines (Balabac, Palawan and Calamian Islands)

The last subspecies has been proposed for species status with the name of Spot-throated Flameback D. j. everetti^[2]

Habitat

Mangroves, forest edges, peat swamp forests, coastal scrub and plantations.

Behaviour

Usually seen in pairs, largely on tree trunks and stems probing soft bark for insects and grubs. Very social, regularly call out to each other.

Vocalisation

Voice: a sharp churrrr and klek-klek in flight.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
2. Birdforum thread discussing taxonomy of several species including this one

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Common Flameback. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Common_Flameback

External Links

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