Flameback

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iFlameback
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae
Genera
Dinopium Rafinesque, 1814 Chrysocolaptes Blyth, 1843

The flamebacks are large woodpeckers which are resident breeders in tropical southern Asia. They derive their English names from their golden or crimson backs.

In fact, the two genera (Dinopium and Chrysocolaptes) are not closely related at all. The former are closely related to the enigmatic Meiglyptes and possibly Hemicircus woodpeckers and the recently-reclassified Rufous Woodpecker. The latter genus appears to be a rather close relative of Campephilus, the genus containing the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Benz et al., 2006).

Tribe Malarpicini

• Genus Dinopium
  • Olive-backed Woodpecker, Dinopium rafflesii
  • Himalayan Flameback, Dinopium shorii
  • Common Flameback, Dinopium javanense
  • Black-rumped Flameback, Dinopium benghalense

Tribe Megapicini

• Genus Chrysocolaptes
  • White-naped Woodpecker, Chrysocolaptes festivus
  • Greater Flameback, Chrysocolaptes lucidus

The distinctive Sri Lankan subspecies of Black-rumped Flameback, D. b. psarodes, and several subspecies of the Greater Flameback are sometimes considered to be separate species.

[edit] References

• Benz, Brett W.; Robbins, Mark B. & Peterson, A. Townsend (2006): Evolutionary history of woodpeckers and allies (Aves: Picidae): Placing key taxa on the phylogenetic tree. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40: 389–399. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.02.021