Eurasian Wryneck
CR

Eurasian Wryneck

Jynx torquilla

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_wryneck

Overview

The Eurasian wryneck or northern wryneck 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.

The Eurasian Wryneck faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urbanization, which eliminates the open woodlands and parklands it requires for nesting and foraging. Climate change is altering the timing of ant emergence, disrupting the species' specialized feeding ecology, while pesticide use reduces its primary food sources.

Threat summary

Habitat

A Eurasian wryneck making calls The Eurasian wryneck has a palearctic distribution. The breeding range of the nominate subspecies includes all of Europe to the Urals, except Great Britain (where it died out as a breeding bird in the late 20th century, but is still regular in small numbers on migration), Ireland, and Iceland. Eurasian wrynecks also inhabit the island of Sakhalin, Japan and the...

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Picidae

Powerful WoodpeckerVU

Powerful Woodpecker

Campephilus pollens

Unknown
Cream-backed WoodpeckerVU

Cream-backed Woodpecker

Campephilus leucopogon

Unknown
Guayaquil WoodpeckerVU

Guayaquil Woodpecker

Campephilus gayaquilensis

Unknown
White-fronted WoodpeckerVU

White-fronted Woodpecker

Melanerpes cactorum

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Eurasian Wryneck classified as Critically Endangered?
Eurasian Wryneck is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Eurasian Wryneck faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urbanization, which eliminates the open woodlands and parklands it requires for nesting and foraging. Climate change is altering the timing of ant emergence, disrupting the species' specialized feeding ecology, while pesticide use reduces its primary food sources.
Where does Eurasian Wryneck live?
Eurasian Wryneck occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Eurasian Wryneck?
The main threats to Eurasian Wryneck are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.