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Eurasian Wryneck

Eurasian Wryneck

Jynx torquilla

Range & Recent Observations

Eurasian Wryneckis a year-round resident and doesn't follow a migration flyway. See the Range tab for where it lives.

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the Eurasian Wryneck

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. It is a bird of open countryside, woodland and orchards. Eurasian wrynecks measure about 16–18 cm (6.3–7.1 in) in length and have bills shorter and less dagger-like than those of other woodpeckers. Their upperparts are barred and mottled in shades of pale brown with rufous and blackish bars and wider black streaks. Their underparts are cream speckled and spotted with brown.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Jynx torquilla
Family
Woodpeckers
Order
Piciformes

Similar species

Other members of the woodpeckers family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
  • American Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides dorsalis
  • Arizona Woodpecker Leuconotopicus arizonae
  • Black-backed Woodpecker Picoides arcticus
  • Black-cheeked Woodpecker Melanerpes pucherani
  • Chestnut-colored Woodpecker Celeus castaneus
  • Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens
  • Gila Woodpecker Melanerpes uropygialis
  • Gilded Flicker Colaptes chrysoides
  • Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Melanerpes chrysogenys
  • Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
  • Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus

Know when the Eurasian Wryneck turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →

Gear for spotting Eurasian Wryneck

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