The Malabar flameback (Chrysocolaptes socialis) is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae.
This bird is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.
It was previously considered a subspecies of the greater flameback (C. guttacristatus), but was split as a distinct species in 2022 noting differences in plumage and vocalizations.
The Female has a forehead, crown, and crest black with small white spots (Crest is red in the male).
Call is a high-pitched thin fast rattle repeated at irregular intervals.
It uses its bill to dig out food from trees, and its zygodactyl feet and stiff tail to provide support against tree trunks.
The long tongue can be darted forward to extract wood-boring arthropod prey; while mainly feeding on small invertebrates, they also drink nectar.
They nest in tree holes, laying three or four white eggs.
Shot in Coorg, Nikon Gears, Apr 2026 © Dr.Bishan Monnappa
