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American Wigeon
(Mareca [Anas] americana)
: "Baldpate"
 German name(s): "Amerikanische Pfeifente", "Nordamerikanische Pfeifente", "Kanadapfeifente"
Size: 48-56 cm; wing span 76-91 cm
Weight: 510-1330 g
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
American Wigeons are medium-sized dabbling ducks.
Their plumage
is dimorphic,
i.e. males
and females
are different.
In addition, males
have different plumages
during the
breeding season and in
eclipse.
Breeding
male American Wigeons have a creamy forehead and an otherwise
greyish head and neck, with iridescent green patches behind
the eyes. The chest, back and wings and flanks are pinkish-brown,
with part of a white wing patch visible. The belly is white, while
the undertail coverts are black and the rump is grey.
The flight feathers are light-grey with darker grey tips.
In eclipse the head and neck are grey, with a darker eye patch.
The only parts of the body plumages that do not change colour
compared to the
breeding season are the flight feathers and the white wing
patch, which still remains partly visible when the wings are folded.
The chest and flanks are chestnut to rusty-brown, with dark-grey wing
coverts that have chestnut to rusty-brown edge lining. The undertail
coverts and rump are pale chestnut to creamy with grey barring.
Females
have cryptic
plumage, with
vermiculation all over. The head and neck are grey with brownish-grey,
while the back, in particular the wing coverts, are dark grey-brown
with light-grey edge lining. The chest and flanks are pale
pinkish grey-brown. Only the belly and vent are white like the males'.
Both sexes have dark-brown irises and a light bluish-grey bill
with a dark-grey tip. The legs and feet are grey.
Juveniles
resemble
females.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See American
Wigeon at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the American Wigeon is available
HERE
.
American Wigeons are, as their name suggests, a North-American
species. They are mostly migratory; only in the Mid-west of the
US and in the northern US American Rocky Mountains is there a
sedentary population. The rest breeds basically in sub-polar
Canada and the northern central states of the US.
Their winter quarters range from coastal British Columbia down
the American West coast and from Maine down the East coast, to
tropical central America in the South, including the islands
of the Caribbean, but avoiding the rainforests around Yucatan,
Mexico. Also the southern and central parts of the US are part
of the overwintering range.
In Europe American Wigeons are found as non-breeding
vagrants, via Iceland, to the West coast of the continent
(the British Isles, but also the continental coastline
from southern Norway to Portugal) and into the southern
Baltic Sea.
They are also found on various Atlantic island groups.
Outside the breeding season American Wigeons have a preference
for coastal habitats.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
We have not seen an American Wigeon in mainland Europe yet.
J. Pires reports spotting an American
Wigeon at Praia da Vitoria, Terceira, Azores, in November 2018.
All sighting and photographic information presented on this page
has been kindly contributed by J. Pires.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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BREEDING |
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Near-frontal view of a male American Wigeon in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Praia da Vitoria, Terceira, Azores, in November 2018]
Lateral view of a male American Wigeon in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Praia da Vitoria, Terceira, Azores, in November 2018]
Lateral view of a resting male American Wigeon in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Praia da Vitoria, Terceira, Azores, in November 2018]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
