Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Eurasian Wigeon is a duck and a rare but regular winter visitor to North America, usually found in flocks of American Wigeons (Mareca americana). Males have a reddish-brown head, buff forehead, gray body, and pinkish breast.

Appearance

Appearance: Breeding males have a chestnut head, creamy forehead, pearly gray body, and large white wing patches. Females are warm brown with a small pale blue-gray bill tipped in black.
Voice: Males give a clear, high whistle, while females make a lower, rougher call.

Look-alikes

American WigeonMareca americana

A male American Wigeon has a gray head with a broad green patch behind the eye, while a male Eurasian Wigeon has a reddish-brown head and buff forehead. Females can be very difficult, but Eurasian females tend to have a warmer brown head with less contrast against the breast and sides.

Why they get mixed upThe two are close relatives, mix in the same flocks, and sometimes .

Where it lives

Typical habitats: shallow lakes and ponds
marshes and estuaries
short grassy fields
Range: It breeds across northern Europe and Asia and winters farther south. In North America it appears in small numbers on both coasts, especially along the West Coast.
Seasonal presence: It is a regular winter visitor rather than a breeding bird in the United States.
When it’s recorded: Recorded Sep–May most years · most records in Dec–Feb
1,954 observations in the US · 10 years · for referenceChoose a state

Behavior

Diet: It is mainly a plant eater, for aquatic vegetation and grazing on short grass near the water.
Social life: In North America, look for it in migrating or wintering American Wigeon flocks. Eurasian and American Wigeons sometimes hybridize.

Life cycle

Nest: In its northern Eurasian breeding range, it nests in cover close to water.
Clutch size: Usually 8–9 eggs
Incubation: About 24–25 days

Name and classification

About the name: It was formerly known as Anas penelope.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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