Wryneck Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)

This small sparrow sized member of the woodpecker family used to be a common sight in the UK especially during the breeding season. Sadly there are no more breeding pairs left in the UK and are now only likely to be spotted passing through during migration.

Wrynecks are shorter than other members of the woodpecker family with shorter bills which are less like the shape of a dagger than other true woodpecker members of the same family. Like others of the  woodpecker family, wrynecks have large heads and zygodactyl feet with two toes pointing backwards and two pointing forwards.

Wrynecks are so called because of their ability to twist their heads almost 180 degrees. They use their long tongues to feed on their main food source, ants.

Wrynecks have grey brown markings interspersed with buff mottling. They are easily recognised by the dark streaks that run from the back of their heads down their spine.

Keep reading to find out more about these fascinating members of the woodpecker family.

How Long Does A Wryneck Live?

In the wild, wrynecks have an average lifespan of around 3 ½ years. However there have been wrynecks recorded of living for as long as 10 years according to ring records.

They reach sexual maturity at around the age of one year. There are a number of reasons why these birds fail to survive into later years which include habitat loss, and the use of pesticides as well as heavy rainfall during the breeding season.

How Fast Can A Wryneck Fly?

Wrynecks are generally considered to be weak flyers when compared to other bird species. Their flight is often erratic and undulating and they are estimated to reach speeds of around 20 mph (32 km/h) or around 9 metres per second.

Their migration is all the more remarkable when you consider just how slow their average flight speed is. However, like all birds they use wind direction and air thermals to assist their flight when navigating the long distances of their yearly migration.

Are Wrynecks Aggressive?

Wrynecks are not regarded as aggressive birds and use deception instead of aggression to defend themselves against predators. They make a hissing sound and move in the same way as a snake to frighten off any likely predators.

Even the young chicks have this defensive ability which they use if any intruders venture too close to their nesting site. Another technique wrynecks have to prevent attack is to feign death by going limp and closing their eyes. This is often enough to allow would be aggressors to move away without any confrontation taking place.

What Is A Wryneck’s Habitat?

Wrynecks can be seen in many places throughout the world although they are a rare sight in the UK nowadays. They occupy various different types of habitat including open woodlands, orchards and grassland.

They select areas with plenty of ant colonies as ants are their primary food source. Wrynecks used to be seen all across the UK but are now restricted to the south and east coasts of England.

Having said that, there have been unconfirmed reports of breeding pairs being spotted in the Orkney and Shetland Islands off the Scottish coast.

How Long Does It Take For A Wryneck To Build A Nest?

Wrynecks don’t build their own nests and tend to nest in natural tree cavities, old woodpecker nests as well as nesting boxes. In some cases they will evict existing eggs, chicks and their parents and steal the nest.

They don’t bother lining these nests at all and just lay their eggs on the bare surface of the nest.

Eggs

Now we have more of an understanding of these fascinating birds, let’s look at their egg laying habits including how many eggs they lay, when they lay them and what the eggs look like.

When Do Wrynecks Lay Eggs?

Once the pair find a suitable nesting site and have evicted any previous residents or moved into an old abandoned woodpecker nest, the female will lay her eggs.

Egg laying is carried out between May and June and the eggs take around 12 to 14 days to hatch.

How Many Eggs Does A Wryneck Lay?

Wrynecks lay anywhere between 7 to 12 eggs with 9 being the average clutch size. The eggs are incubated mainly by the female for around 2 weeks before they hatch.

What Do Wryneck Eggs Look Like?

The eggs are a dull, white colour, slightly opaque and are around 20 x 15 mm in size. The eggs weigh around 2.7 g with around 7% being the weight of the shell.

How Long Do Wryneck Eggs Take To Hatch?

The female incubates the eggs mainly on her own for around 12 to 14 days before they hatch. The time taken from egg laying to hatching is around 2 weeks.

Chicks

Now let’s move onto the next stage in the development of the wrynecks reproductive cycle, the chicks.

How Many Chicks Does A Wryneck Have?

Depending on the fitness of the female and the abundance of food in the nesting area it is likely that all of the eggs will hatch and reach the fledgling stage. In many cases this can mean the parents have around 7 to 9 hungry chicks all demanding to be fed.

The female helps in hatching the chicks and produces a yellow paste in her bill which she feeds to the young as soon as they hatch.

When Do Wryneck Chicks Open Their Eyes?

The chicks are altricial and rely on their parents for food and thermal regulation. Wryneck chicks typically open their eyes after around 5 days.

Both parents bring the chicks ant larvae at around 10 minute intervals until they are strong enough and developed enough to leave the nest site.

When Do Wryneck Chicks Fledge?

Wryneck chicks typically fledge the nest around 3 weeks after hatching. At which point some females will start on another brood. 

In some cases she will also manage to raise a third brood in the same season although this is extremely rare.

SEE ALSO: Turnstone Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)

Frequently Asked Questions