Unlimited, Inc . The Eurasian Wryneck occurs across Europe, temperate boreal Asia, Japan and extreme northern Africa. The individual pictured here was found dead in January 2000 at the Crane Naval Weapons Support Center in southwestern Indiana. This Palearctic woodpecker has occurred only once in North America when an individual was found dead in Wales, Alaska on Sept. 8, 1945. Its arrival here in Indiana is a mystery, but possible explanations follow.
Wrynecks get their name from the unusual, snakelike way they twist their neck when captured.
When cornered at the nest, a Wryneck will mimic a snake by raising its crown feathers, open it bill, stretch out its head and neck, and hiss and suddenly recoil. 16 to17 cm long with a wingspan of 25 to 27 cm. Its cryptic coloration suggests a nightjar. The bird is small with a complex plumage pattern. It is grayish overall with brown and buff mottling.