The Eurasian wryneck (lat. Jynx torquilla torquilla) is a small-sized migratory bird that is endemic throughout Europe and Asia. It winters in Africa and mainly breeds in temperate regions in Eurasia; it is a bird of open countryside, woodland, and orchards. In Greece, it is widespread in Epirus, Thessaly, and the forests in Macedonia and Thrace.
It nests in small tree hollows but very often uses the nests of other woodpeckers. It feeds on insects which it seeks both in the soil and in rotten wood.
The scientific name of the genus Jynx from the Greek word Ίυγξ is referred to in ancient Greek mythology. According to the myth, the bird is named after the nymph Iynx who created the magic love charm that made Zeus fall in love with Io. In return, Hera transformed the nymph into a bird, iynx.
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