General

American Wigeon: Medium-sized dabbling duck with pale blue bill and white shoulder patches that are visible in flight. Male is brown with white crown, large green ear patch extending to back of head, buff washed breast and sides and white belly. Female has a greyer-coloured head in contrast with the rest of the body, brighter and more rufous flanks and paler, greater wing coverts; grey bill; legs and feet are blue-grey to dark grey; brown eyes. Juveniles are mottled brown with grey heads, brown breasts and white bellies.

Range and Habitat

American Wigeon: Common throughout much of North America. Breeds from Alaska, northern Manitoba and southern Quebec south to Nevada, the Dakotas, Colorado, and the Great Lakes region, rarely farther east. Spends winters mainly along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf coasts. Marshes, ponds, and shallow lakes are preferred habitats. Rare vagrant to Europe.

Breeding and Nesting

American Wigeon: The female selects a nesting site. The nest is made of grass and plant stems and lined with down, and is placed in the tall grass, or in shrubs or other plant cover. Six to twelve creamy white eggs are laid in the nest, often several hundred yards from water. Incubation ranges from 22 to 25 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

American Wigeon: These birds are almost entirely vegetarian; they eat the stems and leafy parts of aquatic plants, leafy parts of upland grasses and clovers and leafy parts and seeds of crops. They also take insects and other aquatic invertebrates. They are opportunistic and aggressive feeders, often foraging in open water by stealing materials brought to the surface by diving ducks and coots.

Vocalisation

American Wigeon: Makes distinctive whistled call "whew-whee-whew"; also quacks.

Similar Species

American Wigeon: Wigeon has rufous head and lacks green head stripe. Teal has chestnut head, dark bill, and lacks white crown stripe. Garganey has dark brown crown, long white eyebrow stripe, and dark bill.