Wryneck: distribution and range

The breeding range of Wryneck lies entirely within the Palearctic, from France and Iberia eastwards to Japan, between latitudes 35 and 64 degrees. In continental Europe it breeds regularly from sub-arctic Fenno-Scandia (Lapland) to the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Wryneck does not breed in Ireland, where it is a rare vagrant, or Iceland where it is accidental and it now breeds only very rarely in Great Britain. In the 1970s around four pairs in Scotland were thought by many to be the start of a recolonisation, but this did not materialised. In the British Isles most Wrynecks are seen at coastal observatories. As a breeding species it is more common away from the European coastline, in particular the Atlantic and North Sea coasts of France and the Low Countries, seemingly preferring a drier inland, continental climate. However, Wrynecks do breed on the Atlantic coasts of Norway and northern Spain, so perhaps other factors besides climate, such as habitat land use, are involved. It is unclear which race breeds in Greece, though it is possible that both torquilla and tschusii do. The latter race is also thought to winter there. Some Wrynecks also winter in southern Spain and southern Italy. The bulk of the population however winters in Africa.