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Jynx torquilla

Eurasian wryneck

Habitus (CC BY-3.0) Arnstein Rønning

Short Description

The Eurasian wryneck is grey-brown and often overlooked because of its excellent camouflage. The light underparts are finely barred and the strikingly long, grey-brown tail has dark-brown crossbands. Its bill is grey, quite short and pointed.

Features

Eurasian wryneck

Jynx torquilla

  • elongated body

Paar: Gesang

Conrads, CC BY-SA 3.0

00:00
Habitus (CC BY 2.0) Martien Brand

In the city

The Eurasian wryneck lives in semi-open and open habitats such as park forests, tree-lined roads and large gardens.

The Eurasian wryneck has been under serious threat in Germany in recent years. One of the main reasons for this is the declining ant population as the result of over-fertilisation, habitat destruction and pesticide use by humans.

Fun Facts

  • The Eurasian wryneck can turn its head by 180 degrees.

  • When in danger, wrynecks exhibit a snake mimicry behaviour. It moves its head and neck in a creeping motion and makes hissing sounds. In that way, it fools attackers into taking it for a snake.

  • Wrynecks are migratory birds. From September to the middle of April, they fly to tropical Africa, to Iran or to India.

  • Endangerment level Germany: severely endangered
Habitus (CC BY-3.0) Wouter van der Ham

Sources

Habitus , Arnstein Rønning, CC BY-3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jynx_torquilla_(Ramsoy).JPG

Habitus , Martien Brand, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jynx_torquilla_vlaskop_cropped.jpg

Habitus , Wouter van der Ham, CC BY-3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jynx_torquilla_(Picidae)_(Eurasian_Wryneck)_-_(adult),_Chorokhi_Delta,_Georgia.jpg

Bejcek, V. (1988) Zugvögel, Hanau/Main: Verlag Werner Dausien.

Page „Wendehals (Vogel)“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 17.08.2015, 20:27 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wendehals_(Vogel)&oldid=145137232 (Accessed: 18.02.2016).

Artenfinder (2016) Jynx torquilla (Wendehals), URL: https://arteninfo.net/elearning/voegel/speciesportrait/3042 (Accessed: 24.04.2016).

NABU – Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (n.d.) Der Wendehals. Vogel des Jahres 1988, URL: https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/aktionen-und-projekte/vogel-des-jahres/1988-wendehals/ (Accessed: 24.04.2016).

Witt, K. & Steiof, K. (2013) Rote Liste und Liste der Brutvögel von Berlin, 3. version, 15.11.2013. : Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V. (eds.) Berliner Ornithologischer Bericht, volume 23, Berlin: Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V., 1-23.