Wrynecks are woodpecker relatives that have almost entirely ceased breeding in the UK after a dramatic 20th century decline linked to loss of ant-rich short grassland and old orchards. A handful of migrants are recorded annually.
The effective extinction of wrynecks as UK breeders represents a welfare loss at both population and individual level across decades of progressive habitat deterioration. Migrant wrynecks passing through the UK need insect-rich stopover habitat. The historical trajectory of the species illustrates how gradual invertebrate habitat loss can cause irreversible population collapse before intervention becomes possible.