Eurasian Wryneck

Habitat: Light deciduous and mixed woodlands, riparian forests and orchards. Occasionally also parkland with scattered trees and even treeless areas, provided there are sufficient loam walls with plenty of cavities.

Appearance: Summer visitor in Europe, winters in Africa. In Belgium and the Netherlands, an extremely rare to very rare breeding bird – migratory – passage migrant in small numbers.

Breeding season: May–August. The Wryneck uses a cavity for nesting, but by the end of May these are usually already occupied by other cavity-nesting birds. In that case, the Wrynecks unceremoniously throw out the existing nest, eggs and all, and take possession of the cavity. In typical woodpecker fashion, they do not bring in any nesting material themselves. Their clutches are found in nest boxes, in completely rotten tree trunks, less frequently in ground-level hollows, in horizontally decayed branches and even in vacant holiday cottages. Sometimes the cavity is just above the ground, sometimes at a height of 7 metres. 7–10 eggs.

Characteristics: Length 16–18 cm, wingspan 25–27 cm, weight 30–50 grams, lifespan 10 years.

Food: Ants and aphids, which the Wryneck licks up with its sticky, worm-like tongue, but also other insects.