American Wigeon

The American wigeon, Mareca americana, also known as the baldpate, is a medium-sized dabbling duck. It is larger than a teal but smaller than a pintail, with a distinctive round head, short neck, and small bill. The male is particularly striking with a green eye mask and a cream-colored cap, while the female is more subdued in gray and brown plumage.

Identification Tips

In silhouette, the American wigeon can be distinguished by its unique head shape and bill size. The male, or drake, has a green eye mask and a white cap that extends from the crown to the bill, earning it the nickname "baldpate." The female is less conspicuous, with mottled brown plumage. Both sexes have a pale blue bill with a black tip, a white belly, and gray legs and feet. The male's large white shoulder patch is visible in flight.

Habitat

The American wigeon frequents open wetlands such as wet grasslands or marshes with some taller vegetation. It is adaptable and can also be found grazing on dry land.

Distribution

This species breeds across North America, from the northernmost parts of Canada and Alaska to the Interior West. It winters in the southern United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and northwestern South America. It is a rare but regular vagrant to western Europe.

Behaviour

Outside of breeding season, the American wigeon is highly gregarious, forming large flocks. It is known to feed by dabbling for plant food or grazing and will often join feeding coots and divers to snatch vegetation. It migrates before northern marshes freeze due to its largely vegetarian diet.

Song & Calls

The drake produces a distinctive three-note whistle, while the hen emits hoarse grunts and quacks. The male's call is a wheezy whoee-whoe-whoe, and the female's is a low qua-ack.

Breeding

Breeding occurs from April to May. The female nests on the ground, often away from water, laying 6–12 creamy white eggs. The male may desert before the eggs hatch, and the precocial young leave the nest within a day of hatching.

Similar Species

The American wigeon can be confused with the Eurasian wigeon, but the latter has a darker head and all-gray underwing. The female American wigeon also has different head and neck coloring compared to her Eurasian counterpart.

Diet and Feeding

The American wigeon has a predominantly vegetarian diet, feeding on aquatic plants, waste grain, pasture grasses, and occasionally lettuce. It is known to poach food from diving birds.

Conservation status

The IUCN lists the American wigeon as Least Concern, with an estimated 2.5 million breeding individuals. However, there have been regional shifts in population numbers, with declines in some areas and increases in others.