About Chrysocolaptes socialis Koelz, 1939
The Malabar flameback, scientifically named Chrysocolaptes socialis, is a bird species that belongs to the woodpecker family Picidae. This species is endemic to the Western Ghats region of India. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the greater flameback, Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus. In 2022, the International Ornithological Congress recognized it as a separate distinct species, following a 2021 study that identified differences in plumage and vocalizations between the two taxa.