2012

Eurasian wryneck - conqueror of tree cavities - returns to forests

Spring delights with its full bloom, trees become greener and bird songs – louder. Many species are already nesting. However, there is a special migratory bird, which spends winters in tropical Africa and returns to the forests of Kurzeme only in the first half of May, when its main sources of food – small ants, their eggs and pupae – are abundant in nature.

This Eurasian wryneck has set his eyes on a bird house occupied by a couple of black flycatchers.

Eurasian wrynecks (Jynx torquilla) are the only ones of the nine woodpecker family species in Latvia to spend winters in warmer lands. Moreover, the fact that they are migratory birds is not their only difference from the rest of our woodpecker family birds – their appearance and behaviour differs as well. However, the most interesting fact is that their beaks are not suited to carve tree cavities; they cannot carve tree holes for their own nests!

When Eurasian wrynecks return from Africa at the beginning of May, tree cavities and bird houses are already occupied by early nesters. What to do? The wrynecks do not see any problem with this at all. They act quite shamelessly and throw out the nest’s former owners. They are not seeking maximum comfort such as weaving their own nests and laying eggs directly on the floor.