Yellow-faced flameback
Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus Walden & E. L. Layard, 1872
The yellow-faced flameback (Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus) is a species in the family Picidae, order Piciformes. Recorded adults weigh 142 g to 211 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Endangered.

Quick facts about the yellow-faced flameback
- Weight
- 142 g – 211 gsrc for Weight
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Diet
- Invertivoresrc for Diet
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- woodlandsrc for Habitat
- Egg incubation
- 14.8 dayssrc for Egg incubation
- Young per litter or clutch
- 3.2src for Young per litter or clutch
- Lifestyle
- Perchingsrc for Lifestyle
- Migration
- Sedentarysrc for Migration
- Conservation status
- Endangered (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Where does the yellow-faced flameback live?
Not recorded
What is the yellow-faced flameback?
The yellow-faced flameback (Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found on the Philippine islands of Negros and Panay. It is extinct on Guimaras, Masbate, and Ticao . It is one of the most spectacular woodpeckers with its bright yellow head and crimson red back. It was previously considered a subspecies of greater flameback but has since been designated full species status. It is found in moist lowland forests including primary, secondary and even plantations and clearings provided there are still standing trees. It is the rarest woodpecker in the country and it is threatened by habitat loss.
From the Wikipedia article “Yellow-faced flameback” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yellow-faced_flameback&oldid=1380738294), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the yellow-faced flameback endangered?
The yellow-faced flameback is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List: it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Endangered species. What the categories mean.
How is the yellow-faced flameback classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classAves
- orderPiciformes
- familyPicidae
- genusChrysocolaptes
- SpeciesChrysocolaptes xanthocephalus Walden & E. L. Layard, 1872
Synonyms Chrysocolaptes lucidus xanthocephalus
Other names and names in other languages (26)
- picot sultà caragrocCatalan
- datel negroskýCzech
- Filippinsk SultanspætteDanish
- GelbwangensultanspechtGerman
- Gelbwangen-SultanspechtGerman
- flavmaska flampegoEsperanto
- Pito sultán carigualdoSpanish
- Pic à face jauneFrench
- žutoglava žunaCroatian
- Picchio testagiallaItalian
- キガオコガネゲラJapanese
- Geltongalvis sultoninis genysLithuanian
- GeelkopgoudrugspechtDutch
- gulkinnspettNorwegian
- sułtan złotolicyPolish
- peto-de-faces-amarelasPortuguese
- pica-pau-sultão-de-faces-amarelasPortuguese
- Желтоголовый дятел-султанRussian
- Желтоголовый султанский дятелRussian
- zlatoš žltohlavýSlovak
- Žutolika vatroleđa žunaSerbian
- gulkindad sultanspettSwedish
- Altuni AlevsırtTurkish
- дзьобак золотоголовийUkrainian
- 黃臉金背啄木Chinese
- 黄脸金背啄木鸟Chinese
Relatives of the yellow-faced flameback
Other species in the same genus Chrysocolaptes.

White-naped woodpecker
Chrysocolaptes festivus

Buff-spotted flameback
Chrysocolaptes lucidus

Greater flameback
Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus

Luzon flameback
Chrysocolaptes haematribon

Crimson-backed flameback
Chrysocolaptes stricklandi
Javan flameback
Chrysocolaptes strictus
CompareYellow-faced flameback vs White-naped woodpeckerYellow-faced flameback vs Buff-spotted flamebackYellow-faced flameback vs Greater flamebackYellow-faced flameback vs Luzon flameback
Common questions
Answered only where our data holds the answer.
How big is the yellow-faced flameback?
An adult yellow-faced flameback weighs 142 g – 211 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.
Is the yellow-faced flameback endangered?
The yellow-faced flameback is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, meaning it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
What kind of animal is the yellow-faced flameback?
The yellow-faced flameback (Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus) belongs to the family Picidae in the order Piciformes.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds · CC BY 4.0 · v7
Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Yellow-faced flameback (Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/yellow-faced-flameback
“Yellow-faced flameback (Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/yellow-faced-flameback.
@misc{yellow_faced_flameback_2026,
title = {Yellow-faced flameback (Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/yellow-faced-flameback},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}