Bird Album
Eurasian Wryneck
Jynx torquilla Linnaeus, 1758
17 cmLength26 cmWingspan35 gWeight
This mottled woodpecker has an elongated, thrush-like shape and twists its neck like a snake when its nest is disturbed.
Busiest months: April · Most records: India, Spain, China
How to identify
Field marks
- Pale brown upperparts covered in rufous and blackish-brown barring
- Creamy-white underparts with arrowhead-shaped brown spots
- Bill shorter and less pointed than in other woodpeckers
- Slender, elongated shape resembling Chinese Hwamei
Male, female and young
Juveniles have plumage similar to that of adults, but are paler and show less contrast.
Voice
A high-pitched, sharp “quee-quee-quee-quee” lasting several seconds. In alarm it gives a series of short “tuck” calls, and it hisses when the nest is disturbed.
Where and when it's recorded
Eurasian Wryneck has been recorded at 1,743 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 103 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Jerusalem Bird ObservatoryIsrael921 records
- International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE)Israel761 records
- Bharatpur – Keoladeo Ghana NPIndia632 records
More places
- Gazelle ValleyIsrael500 records
- Baruipur MarshesIndia499 records
- PN Ria Formosa – Quinta do Lago – área geralPortugal483 records
- Aras Kuş Halkalama İstasyonuTürkiye381 records
- Sultanpur National ParkIndia373 records
- Sureste PNat – Soto de las JuntasSpain356 records
- Zaragoza – Parque del AguaSpain353 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The Eurasian wryneck or northern wryneck (Jynx torquilla) is a species of wryneck in the woodpecker family. It mainly breeds in temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Most populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa and in southern Asia from Iran to the Indian subcontinent, but some are resident in northwestern Africa.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Eurasian Wryneck?
The Eurasian Wryneck is about 17 cm long, with a wingspan of 26 cm and weighs around 35 g.
Where does the Eurasian Wryneck live?
Its breeding range: Palearctic: widespread. It is most often recorded in India, Spain and China.
When is the best time to see the Eurasian Wryneck?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Eurasian Wryneck endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Eurasian Wryneck as Least Concern.
What does the Eurasian Wryneck eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Eurasian Wryneck in?
It belongs to the family Woodpeckers (Picidae), order Piciformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 17 cm
- Wingspan
- 26 cm
- Weight
- 35 g
- Habitat
- Woodland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 87 mm
- Tail
- 68 mm
- Bill
- 17 mm
- Tarsus
- 20 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Palearctic: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Subspecies · 1
- Jynx torquilla chinensis e Siberia and ne, c China | non-breeding: s, se Asia
Classification
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Woodpeckers Picidae
- Genus
- Jynx
Other birds in the genus Jynx
Red-throated WryneckJynx ruficollis
Speckled PiculetPicumnus innominatus
Bar-breasted PiculetPicumnus aurifrons
Lafresnaye's PiculetPicumnus lafresnayi
Orinoco PiculetPicumnus pumilus
Golden-spangled PiculetPicumnus exilis
Ecuadorian PiculetPicumnus sclateri
Scaled PiculetPicumnus squamulatus
White-bellied PiculetPicumnus spilogaster
Arrowhead PiculetPicumnus minutissimus
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