Himalayan Flameback

Common name for a species of bird with the binomial name Dinopium shori and also commonly known as the Himalayan Goldenback. It belongs to the Picidae family, and is found in many parts of South Asia, primarily in the lower-to-middle altitudes of the Himalayas, though its range extends well into Myanmar and likely other parts of mainland Southeast Asia. Males are around 30 centimeters tall and have an erect crest, which is red in males and black with white streaks in females. Adults have a golden-brown to copper back and wings with a red shine on the top area of the mantle, a black tail, and a red rump, whilst the underparts are white with dark markings, that are less dense and lighter than in the Greater Flameback (fig.). Unlike the latter, which has a white hindneck, that of the Himalayan Flameback is black, akin to the Common Flameback (fig.). The Himalayan Flameback differs from Common Flameback by a brownish submoustachial and a redder mantle. The straight pointed bill, typical of woodpeckers, is blackish and is noticeably shorter than that of the Greater Flameback. Immature birds are browner above and more obscurely marked below. In Thai it is known as nok hua khwaan phan himalay (นกหัวขวานพันธุ์หิมาลัย), i.e. ‘Himalayan breed ax-headed bird’. See also List of Thai Animal Names. 回