# Eurasian wryneck (*Jynx torquilla*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/eurasian-wryneck  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The Eurasian wryneck (Jynx torquilla) is a small bird in the family Picidae, subfamily Jynginae, within the order Piciformes. It is a migratory, terrestrial invertivore of woodland habitat, with an adult body mass of 35 g and a wingspan of 26 cm. Its clutches hold 8.5 eggs, up to 9.2, with an incubation period of 12.4 days and 1.5 clutches per year. The IUCN lists the Eurasian wryneck as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 35 g – 38.8 g |
| Length | 16 cm – 18 cm |
| Wingspan | 26 cm |
| Lifespan | 10 years |
| Diet | Invertivore |
| Main food | arthropods |
| Habitat | woodland |
| Egg incubation | 12.4 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 8.5 – 9.2 |
| Age at maturity | 12 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.5 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Migration | Migratory |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Piciformes
- family: Picidae
- genus: Jynx
- species: *Jynx torquilla* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Jynx torquila*, *Jynx torquilla incognita*, *Jynx torquilla intermedia*, *Jynx torquilla pallidior*, *Torquilla striata*, *Yunx torquilla*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the Eurasian wryneck?

The Eurasian wryneck is a bird in the family Picidae and the order Piciformes. It belongs to the subfamily Jynginae and the genus Jynx.

### How heavy is the Eurasian wryneck?

The Eurasian wryneck has an adult body mass of 35 g, with values up to 38.8 g reported. Its wingspan is 26 cm.

### What does the Eurasian wryneck eat?

The Eurasian wryneck is an invertivore, placed at the carnivore trophic level.

### How many eggs does the Eurasian wryneck lay?

The Eurasian wryneck lays clutches of 8.5 eggs, with up to 9.2 reported, and has 1.5 clutches per year. Incubation lasts 12.4 days.

### How long does the Eurasian wryneck live?

The lifespan of the Eurasian wryneck is given as 10 years. It reaches sexual maturity at 1 year, with reported values from 364.2 to 365 days.

### Is the Eurasian wryneck migratory?

Yes, the Eurasian wryneck is migratory. It lives in woodland and has a geographic range of 17,650,000 km².

### Who named the Eurasian wryneck?

The Eurasian wryneck was named Jynx torquilla by Linnaeus, 1758.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Eurasian wryneck (Jynx torquilla). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/eurasian-wryneck