Eurasian Wryneck

Eurasian Wryneck

Jynx torquilla

Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Dhaka

In 3 days ~10%

37 Verified sightings at Dhaka
1,647 In all 30 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

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. Their chief prey is ants and other insects, which they find in decaying wood or on the ground. The eggs are white as is the case with many birds that nest in holes and a clutch of seven to ten eggs is laid during May and June.

These birds get their English name from their ability to turn their heads through almost 180 degrees. When disturbed at the nest, they use this snake-like head twisting and hissing as a threat display. The Eurasian wryneck was first described... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:29

China · 2025

© Bo Shunqi 薄顺奇 · XC1099016 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song1:04

Sweden · 2025

© Dag Österlund · XC1009130 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Duet1:02

Sweden · 2023

© Thomas Bergman · XC800958 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~30%
2 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
3 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
4 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
5 Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
6 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
7 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
8 Plitvice Lakes National Park 🇭🇷 Croatia
~10%
9 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
10 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
11 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
12 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
13 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
14 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
15 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
16 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
17 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
18 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
19 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
<5%
20 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
21 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
22 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
23 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
<5%
24 Udawalawe National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
25 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
<5%
26 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
27 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
28 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
29 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
30 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Chattogram 🇧🇩 Bangladesh
~10%
2 Beirut 🇱🇧 Lebanon
~10%
3 Jerusalem 🇮🇱 Israel
~10%
4 Nizhny Novgorod 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
5 Jodhpur 🇮🇳 India
~10%
6 Hanoi 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
7 Tehran 🇮🇷 Iran
~10%
8 Indore 🇮🇳 India
~10%
9 Ramallah 🇵🇸 Palestine
~10%
10 Kolkata 🇮🇳 India
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Eurasian Wryneck in Dhaka?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Wryneck sighting in Dhaka on a given day, based on 37 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 113th most-seen of the 185 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Eurasian Wryneck in Dhaka?

October and December

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Wryneck in Dhaka on a given day, against under 5% in January–September and November, the lowest months. Those are among Dhaka's driest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against 440 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see a Eurasian Wryneck?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eurasian Wryneck sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Dhaka the best place to see a Eurasian Wryneck?

21st of 65

Of the 65 cities where we can rate Eurasian Wryneck sightings, Dhaka ranks 21st at under 5%. The best odds are in Chattogram (Bangladesh, about 10%), Beirut (Lebanon, about 10%) and Jerusalem (Israel, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Eurasian Wryneck live in Dhaka?

Same family: Picidae

The closest relatives of the Eurasian Wryneck that you can see in Dhaka (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are Black-rumped Flameback (about 60%) and Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Eurasian Wryneck sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Eurasian Wryneck is recorded against all the birds logged in Dhaka (37 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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