Wigeon
The Eurasian Wigeon, or simply Wigeon, is one of 3 species of Wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Mareca.
The Wigeon is 17 to 20 inches in length with a 28 to 31 inches wingspan. The breeding male has grey flanks and back with a black rear end, a dark green speculum and a brilliant white patch on the upper wings which obvious in flight or at rest. It has a pink breast, white belly and a chestnut head with a creamy crown. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male looks more like the female. The female is generally light brown but it can be distinguished from most other ducks, apart from the American Wigeon, on shape.
The Wigeon breeds in the northernmost areas of Europe and Asia where it is the Old World counterpart of north America's American Wigeon. It is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some taller vegetation, and nests on the ground near water and under cover. The Wigeon is strongly migratory and winters further south than its breeding range. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks.
In the UK, the Wigeon can be found all year round. It is a scarce breeding bird in central and northern Scotland and in northern England. In winter, many birds arrive in the UK from Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia and very large numbers can be seen on the coasts and at some inland sites.
The Wigeon is categorised by the IUCN as a species of “Least Concern” but it is a species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
Date: 21st January 2022
Location: WWT London Wetland Centre, Barnes, Greater London
The Wigeon is 17 to 20 inches in length with a 28 to 31 inches wingspan. The breeding male has grey flanks and back with a black rear end, a dark green speculum and a brilliant white patch on the upper wings which obvious in flight or at rest. It has a pink breast, white belly and a chestnut head with a creamy crown. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male looks more like the female. The female is generally light brown but it can be distinguished from most other ducks, apart from the American Wigeon, on shape.
The Wigeon breeds in the northernmost areas of Europe and Asia where it is the Old World counterpart of north America's American Wigeon. It is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some taller vegetation, and nests on the ground near water and under cover. The Wigeon is strongly migratory and winters further south than its breeding range. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks.
In the UK, the Wigeon can be found all year round. It is a scarce breeding bird in central and northern Scotland and in northern England. In winter, many birds arrive in the UK from Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia and very large numbers can be seen on the coasts and at some inland sites.
The Wigeon is categorised by the IUCN as a species of “Least Concern” but it is a species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
Date: 21st January 2022
Location: WWT London Wetland Centre, Barnes, Greater London
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Also in: Dabbling ducks
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