Wryneck

Wryneck, jynx, or snakebird (genus Jynx), small, gray-brown, insect-eating bird of the Eastern Hemisphere, named for the snakelike hissing and movement of its head and neck when it is threatened. The 2 species, often considered members of the woodpecker family, are the Eurasian wryneck (J. torquilla) and the African red-breasted wryneck (J. ruficollis).