Woodpeckers
Eurasian Wryneck
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Jynx torquilla
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Voice
Song
Song
Song
How to recognize it
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Body length 16–18 cm
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Slim silhouette, grey-brown mottled back with dark stripes
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Whitish underside with brown markings
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Slow, undulating flight
About the species
Mottled pale brown above and creamy underneath, the Eurasian Wryneck blends into tree bark. A dark streak runs from its bill past the eye and along the neck, while brown bars and spots mark the back and breast. Its rounded grey tail is speckled with brown and crossed by faint bands.
Its call is a string of sharp, repeated "quee-quee-quee" notes. It forages with short hops, tail raised, and uses quick tongue flicks to pick insects from the ground or decaying wood. It nests in existing holes, and when disturbed there, twists its neck and hisses.
It uses open woodland, orchards, parkland and gardens with old trees. Ants, especially their larvae and pupae, make up most of its food, with other insects also taken. Most populations migrate to tropical Africa or southern Asia for winter, while some in northwestern Africa stay year-round.
Where to find
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In spring, listen in city parks with old trees for repeated calls from the Eurasian Wryneck near a chosen tree cavity.
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In old orchards, look for short hops across the ground while foraging for ants.
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At wooded clearings and forest edges, watch for diagonal movement along tree trunks.
