The Wryneck Biology, Behaviour, Conservation and Symbolism of Jynx torquilla

Until now, the only published work on The Wryneck Jynx torquilla has been Heinz Menzel’s 100-page monograph Der Wendehals, only available in German (Ziemsen, 1968), so this new book is a welcome arrival. It includes both a review of past literature and plenty of original research by the author himself. Indeed, nobody has done more to put woodpeckers on the map in recent years than Gerard Gorman, with six woodpecker books written prior to this – including monographs on the Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius and Green Woodpecker Picus viridis.

The gradual disappearance of Wrynecks from England as a breeding species began over a century ago and was completed in 1985 when the last pair nested, while a few lingered in Scotland until the very early 2000s. It still remains unclear as to why the birds disappeared from here so long ago and in parallel have declined steeply in west and central Europe while remaining more common in the east and south. Gorman suggests that maybe the problem mostly lies in the wintering grounds in Africa. Alongside this other authors have suggested the decline is related to the general increase in wetter summers – although others predict that the warming climate might attract Wrynecks in the future. It’s a confusing picture. Gorman is good at explaining such hypotheses in an uncomplicated way, and the inclusion of around 120 good quality photographs makes it both an easy and enjoyable read.

The introductory chapters introduce the species with a wealth of information on taxonomy, anatomy, morphology, plumage, identification, vocalisations, moult, ageing and sexing. There is also a section on the Red-throated Wryneck J. ruficollis which is resident in twenty sub-Saharan countries in Africa. Other chapters cover distribution, status, population estimates, migration and habitats. There is a lot of detail given on how populations are faring in each country, with a wealth of information from Europe, but many gaps in Asia where data on breeding and wintering numbers is sparse.

A significant part of the latter pages focuses on breeding and conservation. Gorman has put out many nest boxes for Wrynecks, and clearly this is a good strategy in areas where natural tree cavities are few. The book is full of information, clearly subdivided into smaller topic sections to make it very accessible. There is also a fascinating chapter on folklore, mythology and symbolism. A lengthy bibliography of around 400 references shows that this species has attracted interest in both the breeding grounds in Europe and in migration. Gorman comments that many published studies are of birds using nest boxes, and that more research is needed from natural nest sites.

I enjoyed reading this book. It reminded me that this most unlikely of woodpeckers still holds a fascination for most British birders. How far would you travel to see one? I bet it is further than you’d initially think!