American Wigeon

Overview

The American wigeon (Mareca americana), also known as the baldpate, is a medium-sized dabbling duck native to North America. It is the New World counterpart to the Eurasian wigeon and is classified within the dabbling duck genus Mareca. This species is common and widespread, currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Size & Shape: Medium-sized bird, larger than a teal but smaller than a pintail, with a distinct round head, short neck, and small bill.
• Male Plumage: Breeding drakes feature a striking mask of green feathers around the eyes and a cream-colored cap extending from the crown to the bill; large white shoulder patches flash during flight.
• Female & Non-breeding: Females and drakes in eclipse plumage are less conspicuous, primarily grey and brown, though both sexes possess a white belly.
• Bill & Legs: Both sexes have a pale blue bill with a black tip and grey legs and feet.
• Vocalisation: The drake produces a distinctive three-note wheezy whistle ('whoe-whoe-whoe'), while the hen emits low, hoarse grunts and quacks.

Habitat

This species inhabits open wetlands such as wet grasslands and marshes with some taller vegetation, primarily in the Boreal Forest and subarctic river deltas of Canada and Alaska during the breeding season. It is migratory, wintering in the southern United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and northwestern South America. The bird is most numerous in the Pacific Flyway, with key wintering areas including California's Central Valley and Washington's Puget Sound.

Diet

The American wigeon has a largely vegetarian diet, feeding by dabbling for plant food or grazing on dry land on vegetation such as pasture grasses, clover, lettuce, and waste grain in harvested fields. While on the water, they frequently gather with coots and divers, snatching pieces of vegetation brought to the surface by these diving birds, a behaviour that has earned them the names 'poacher' or 'robber' ducks.

Did you know?

Due to their habit of stealing food brought to the surface by other diving water birds, American wigeons are colloquially known as 'poacher' or 'robber' ducks.