Wildlife

Wild Wryneck Welfare and Decline

Wrynecks are extremely rare UK breeding birds, now mainly passage migrants, with welfare implications from habitat loss and declining ant prey.

Key Facts

Wrynecks were once widespread breeders in UK orchards and open woodland
UK breeding population is now fewer than 5 pairs, all in Scotland
They depend on yellow meadow ants as their primary prey - declining in intensified landscapes
Passage migrants occur regularly in September on east coast shrubs
Tree holes and old woodpecker cavities provide nesting sites
Wrynecks can swivel their necks 180 degrees - an unusual display behaviour

Welfare Considerations

Wryneck welfare as a breeding species in the UK depends on ant-rich grassland with appropriate nest sites. The near-extinction of wryneck as a UK breeder reflects landscape-scale loss of diverse grassland habitats. Recovery would require ant grassland restoration at scale near suitable nest site habitat.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment measures creating diverse grassland with ant colonies
Contribute to raptor monitoring schemes recording wryneck breeding attempts
Donate to organisations restoring diverse grassland habitats for farmland invertebrates