Listen to the Eurasian wryneck
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Eurasian wryneck
The Eurasian wryneck is a bird in the family Picidae (order Piciformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 26 cm and weigh around 37 g.
What does the Eurasian wryneck sound like?
Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
The recordings here are labelled as väänkael audio and song. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
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.
More from the family Picidae
Great spotted woodpecker
Dendrocopos major
Black woodpecker
Dryocopus martius
European green woodpecker
Picus viridis
Lesser spotted woodpecker
Dryobates minor
Grey-headed woodpecker
Picus canus
Eurasian three-toed woodpecker
Picoides tridactylus
Northern flicker
Colaptes auratus
Pileated woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Black-rumped flameback
Dinopium benghalense
Red-headed woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Acorn woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
Red-bellied woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Frequently asked questions
What does an Eurasian wryneck sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the Eurasian wryneck on this page, including its väänkael audio and song. Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
Is the Eurasian wryneck endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Eurasian wryneck as “least concern”.
What family does the Eurasian wryneck belong to?
The Eurasian wryneck (Jynx torquilla) belongs to the family Picidae in the order Piciformes.
Sources & credits
- Väänkael audio by Nils Austa – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Rødøy, Nordland, Norway by Kim Erlend Vidal – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q25678 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Eurasian wryneck – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark – CC BY 2.0