The Eurasian wryneck primarily feeds on ants and their larvae, raiding ant nests and collecting insects from the ground and tree trunks; the species employs an active hunting strategy to obtain food using its long, sticky tongue. Its diet includes ants, insect larvae, spiders, and various insects such as beetles, butterflies, flies, Hymenoptera, bedbugs, Orthoptera, dragonflies, mayflies, and lacewings. The daily food requirement for the wryneck ranges from 10 to 25 grams.