A common, “small-billed” golden-backed woodpecker with four toes. Endemic to the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka; birds in Sri Lanka have crimson colored backs. Associated with every lowland wooded habitat except dense tropical forest, it often follows degradation into higher elevations. Only flameback where both sexes have red on the crown, but the red on females is restricted to the hind crown. A dark throat and the lack of a contrasting black horizontal stripe below the cheek allow easy separation from other flamebacks. Additionally, other “small-billed” flamebacks are three-toed. Often detected by its loud “ki-ki-ki-ki-ki,” which steadily increases in pace and ends in a trill.