Jynx torquilla
Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
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 →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chattogram | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | |
| 2 | Beirut | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | |
| 3 | Jerusalem | 🇮🇱 Israel | |
| 4 | Nizhny Novgorod | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 5 | Jodhpur | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Hanoi | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 7 | Tehran | 🇮🇷 Iran | |
| 8 | Indore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Ramallah | 🇵🇸 Palestine | |
| 10 | Kolkata | 🇮🇳 India |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Wryneck sighting in London on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 186th most-seen of the 203 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Wryneck in London on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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.
65th of 65
Of the 65 cities where we can rate Eurasian Wryneck sightings, London ranks 65th at under 5%. The best odds are in Chattogram (Bangladesh, about 10%), Beirut (Lebanon, about 10%) and Jerusalem (Israel, about 10%).
Same family: Picidae
The closest relatives of the Eurasian Wryneck that you can see in London (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are Great Spotted Woodpecker (about 40%) and Green Woodpecker (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eurasian Wryneck is recorded against all the birds logged in London (15 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.
