Eurasian Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon

Scientific name: Anas penelope
Family: Anatidae
Order: Anseriformes
Class: Aves

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

The Eurasian Wigeon has a round head and body, thin bill, steep forehead with a slightly curved shape on the back of the head, narrow neck, and pointed tail and wing tips. The male Wigeons average body weight is 720 grams with a body length about 19.3 inches and the females average weight is 640 grams with a body length about 17.9 inches. The wingspan is about 32 inches for both genders with the male Wigeon having a slightly longer wing length than the female. The basic coloration for both genders is brown eyes, blue-gray legs and feet, white belly and upper middle coverts, blue bill with a black tip, black nostrils, and a green speculum on each wing. In the non-breeding season, the male Wigeon has white upper wing coverts, and a dark chestnut-brown head, neck, flanks, and chest. During the breeding season the male Eurasian Wigeon has breeding plumage that is distinguished by a pale gray back and sides, gray wings with black tips, a white patch on each wing, black tail, pink-purple chest, a red head with light yellow crown, and a slightly tinted green patch near each eye. The female Wigeon has two color phases; the gray-brown phase and the rufous stage. The gray-brown phase can be distinguished by a dark brown body and wings with gray axillaries, light brown head and neck, and dark brown color around eyes. The rufous stage is distinguished by a rust-brown colored head, neck, sides, chest, back, and flanks. Juvenile Eurasian Wigeons have similar coloration to adult females but have spots on their belly. Juvenile female and male Wigeons look similar differing only in their speculum color with the female having a dark brown speculum and the male having a glossy brown speculum.

DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:

The Eurasian Wigeon is geographically distributed throughout most of the world. It can be seen throughout Eurasia, North Africa, North America, and South America. The seasons and habitat determines their distribution. In the breeding season, the Wigeon resides in river deltas, rivers, ponds, marshes, coastal bays, and fresh water lakes. They are commonly found in Europe, North America, South America, Iceland, and Greenland. During the winter, the Wigeon resides mostly in estuaries, estuarine grasslands, mudflats, and inland areas near coasts. The Wigeons usually winter from the southern British Isles to Northern Africa.

BEHAVIOR:

The Wigeon is a solitary bird that avoids human contact and rarely associates with other bird species.

DIET:

The Eurasian Wigeon is a herbivore that uses its short serrated edged bill in grazing for food. The general diet consists of herbs, grasses, pondweeds, Wigeon grass, eelgrass (Zostera), and algae (Chara and Enteromorpha).

BREEDING and NESTING:

Juveniles mature by the end of one year and are able to breed. During courtship, males make loud whistle calls, whee-oo, and the female responds by grunting and purring. The nest is set in the ground and is located near a water source. The nests are also widely dispersed and are usually hidden in dense vegetation. Females usually lay 6-12 eggs per clutch and can lay more clutches during the breeding season, from March through summer. The eggs are cream colored with an elliptical shape and the surface is smooth. The female incubates her eggs for about 24 days and stays with her chicks for 40-45 days until they are fledged.

Wild Population:

This widely distributed species is presently not at risk.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:

BEHAVIOR:

DIET:

BREEDING and NESTING:

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