American Wigeon

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A medium-sized duck. Males have a creamy-white forehead blaze, broad green eye-stripe, pink-brown body, and white shoulder patch; females are warm brown. Common in North America; winters in coastal wetlands and agricultural land. Grazes on grass and aquatic plants.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Envergadura	50,6 cm	19.9 in
Peso	938,125 g	33.09 oz

Identificación

Plumaje

Males have white forehead and crown; iridescent green eye patch; pinkish-buff breast; gray flanks; white belly. White forewing patch in flight. Females mottled brown-gray with gray head. Dimorphic.

Habitat & Range

Breeds on freshwater lakes and marshes in boreal and northern forest of North America. Winters on coastal bays, estuaries, freshwater wetlands, and agricultural fields from the southern United States to Central America.

🏖️ Costero 🌿 Humedal 🌾 Pastizal

Distribución geográfica

Resident across Australia and parts of New Guinea. Sedentary in wetlands; locally nomadic in arid interior zones.

Diet & Feeding

Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet more invertebrate-heavy in breeding season.

Estado de conservación

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Comportamiento y reproducción

Nidificación

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 23-25 days. Fledging: 37-48 days.

Tamaño de la puesta

3-12

Sonido

Canto

Male produces a three-note whew-whew-wheoo whistle; female gives a low grunting purr. The male's clear, looping whistle is distinctive on North American ponds and marshes.

Taxonomía

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Orden	Anseriformes (Aves Acuáticas)
Familia	Anatidae (Patos, Gansos y Cisnes)
Genus	Mareca
Especies	Mareca americana

Distribution

American Wigeon has been recorded in 8 countries.

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Presente Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Bélgica 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇩🇰 Dinamarca 🇺🇸 Estados Unidos 🇳🇴 Noruega 🇸🇪 Suecia 🇹🇼 Taiwán 🇻🇪 Venezuela

External Databases

Preguntas frecuentes

What does the American Wigeon eat?

Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet more invertebrate-heavy in breeding season.

Where does the American Wigeon live?

Breeds on freshwater lakes and marshes in boreal and northern forest of North America. Winters on coastal bays, estuaries, freshwater wetlands, and agricultural fields from the southern United States to Central America.

Is the American Wigeon endangered?

The American Wigeon has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the American Wigeon nest?

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 23-25 days. Fledging: 37-48 days.

What does the American Wigeon sound like?

Male produces a three-note whew-whew-wheoo whistle; female gives a low grunting purr. The male's clear, looping whistle is distinctive on North American ponds and marshes.

How big is the American Wigeon?

The American Wigeon has a wingspan of 50.6 cm, weight of 938.125 g.

What order and family does the American Wigeon belong to?

The American Wigeon (Mareca americana) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.