The origin of putting a ‘jinx‘ on someone has everything to do with this bird: The Eurasian wryneck or Jynx torquilla. To ward off predators, these harmless birds bend and twist their heads around in a snake-like way. They also reportedly hiss. Long ago, this behavior was superstitiously associated with or used as a part of spells, curses, and witchcraft, hence the jinx.
National Geographic introduces this small old world woodpecker in the video above. The original footage was filmed at Gedser Bird Observatory & Ringing Station in Denmark:
Eurasian wrynecks can be found across Europe, Asia, and south of the Saraha desert in Africa. Here’s another look at a wryneck filmed in Hungary:
Next, watch the Brown Owl’s remarkable head stability and the American Kestrel falcon’s head stabilization. Plus: The Black Egret’s Umbrella Trick.This Webby award-winning video collection exists to help teachers, librarians, and families spark kid wonder and curiosity. TKSST features smarter, more meaningful content than what's usually served up by YouTube's algorithms, and amplifies the creators who make that content.
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