Eurasian Wryneck
Jynx torquilla
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.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_wryneck
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Piciformes
Family
Picidae
Genus
Jynx
Eurasian Wryneck belongs to the family Picidae, order Piciformes, within the Aves class.
Species Profile
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.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
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...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
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.
Decline in ant populations from pesticide use
Habitat loss from agricultural intensification
Loss of suitable nesting sites due to removal of old trees
Climate change affecting prey availability timing
Urbanization and development pressure
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/eurasian-wryneck