ed ▁fl ame back ▁( C . ▁er yth ro ce phal us ) ▁of ▁Bal ab ac , ▁Pal aw an , ▁Bus u anga ▁and ▁Cal am ian ▁Philipp ine ▁Islands ▁ ▁Description ▁The ▁greater ▁fl ame back ▁is ▁a ▁large ▁wood pe cker , ▁at ▁ 3 3   cm ▁in ▁length . ▁It ▁is ▁of ▁typical ▁wood pe cker ▁shape , ▁has ▁an ▁ere ct ▁cr est ▁and ▁a ▁long ▁neck . ▁Color ation ▁is ▁highly ▁variable ▁between ▁sub species ; ▁it ▁always ▁has ▁un mark ed ▁golden - yellow ▁to ▁dark ▁brown ▁back ▁and ▁wings . ▁The ▁r ump ▁is ▁red ▁and ▁the ▁tail ▁is ▁black . ▁The ▁under parts ▁are ▁white ▁with ▁dark ▁mark ings ▁( chev rons , ▁stri pes , ▁or ▁bands ), ▁or ▁light ▁brown . ▁The ▁head ▁is ▁wh it ish ▁with ▁a ▁black ▁pattern , ▁or ▁it ▁is ▁yellow , ▁brown ▁or ▁red . ▁The ▁straight ▁pointed ▁bill ▁is ▁long ▁( long er ▁than ▁the ▁head ) ▁and ▁– ▁like ▁the ▁legs ▁and ▁four - to ed ▁z yg od act yl ▁feet ▁( two ▁to es ▁pointing ▁forward , ▁two ▁back ward ) ▁– ▁lead - gre y . ▁The ▁eyes ' ▁ir ides ▁are ▁wh it ish ▁to ▁yellow . ▁▁ ▁The ▁adult ▁male ▁greater ▁fl ame back ▁always ▁has ▁a ▁red ▁crown . ▁Fem ales ▁have ▁a ▁crown ▁color ▁varying ▁between ▁sub species , ▁such ▁as ▁black ▁sp otted ▁with ▁white , ▁yellow , ▁or ▁brown ▁with ▁l ighter