The flamebacks are large woodpeckers which are resident breeders in tropical southern Asia. Most derive their English names from their golden or crimson backs.
These species belong to the two woodpecker genera Dinopium and Chrysocolaptes, the latter name also referring to the golden back.
The distinctive Sri Lankan forms of Black-rumped Flameback and Greater Flameback, D. b. psarodes and C. l. stricklandi, are sometimes considered to be separate species.
Campephilus, Phloeoceastes, and Chrysocolaptes are similar in that dermotemporalis in- serts posteriorly and is far ventral in position, being immediately dorsal to depressor mandibulae (Figure 9D).
The resemblance of Chrysocolaptes to the American ivory-bills is difficult to explain on the basis of convergence.
Chrysocolaptes lacks the specialization of the tracheo- hyoid and hyoid horns of Picus and Dinopium.
White-bellied Woodpeckers were sighted on 12 of the 16 (75%) days of observation at the 1100 m camp in primary lowland rain forest and on three of the 24 days (12.5%) spent at the 1600 m camp in primary montane rain forest but were not detected in transitional montane/mossy forest on higher ridges.
Other species of woodpeckers known from the mountain are the Greater Golden-backed Woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes lucidus) and the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker (Picoides maculatus), both of which were seen occasionally at both camps.
On 27 April 1992, an active White-bellied Woodpecker nest was discovered in a dead tree trunk on one side of the ridge on which the 1100 m camp was located.
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