Photo: Mike Prince from Bangalore, India / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Orange-backed Woodpecker
Chrysocolaptes validus
Orange-backed Woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes validus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Orange-backed Woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes validus) is a member of the Picidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 149 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Chrysocolaptes
- Species validus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 149 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Orange-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Orange-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Orange-backed Woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes validus) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. Its range spans South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Malay Pen. and Greater Sundas.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 149 g, with a wing length of about 15.3 cm and a tail of around 8.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.3 million km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Orange-backed Woodpecker?
The Orange-backed Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 149 g.
Where does the Orange-backed Woodpecker live?
The Orange-backed Woodpecker is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Malay Pen. and Greater Sundas, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Orange-backed Woodpecker belong to?
The Orange-backed Woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes validus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Orange-backed Woodpecker eat?
The Orange-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Orange-backed Woodpecker migrate?
The Orange-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Orange-backed Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
How large is the Orange-backed Woodpecker's range?
The Orange-backed Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.