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| Female | Male |
American
Wigeon
Photos by Bruce
Dayton
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| Female | Male |
ORDER:
Anseriformes
FAMILY: Anatidae (Ducks and Geese - 52 Species)
SUB-FAMILY:
Anatinae
SPECIES:
American
Wigeon (Anas americana)
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American Wigeon |
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The American Wigeon also known as the "Baldpate" because the white stripe resembled a bald man's head. The Eurasian Wigeon, a rare winter visitor from Siberia, is a close relative to the American Wigeon. |
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SIZE |
Medium-sized (18-23") dabbling duck. |
| DESCRIPTION |
Male is brown with white crown feathers, green eye patch, and buff breast and sides. Bill is bluish-gray with black tip. Rear flanks show a white patch. Female is mottled brown with grayish-brown head and pale brown breast, similar to a female mallard. Bill is small and grayish, with a black tip. Both male and female have white shoulder wing patches. |
| NESTING | Clutch size ranges from 7-12 eggs, which are incubated in 22 to 25 days. The female builds the nest filled on dry land with grasses, lined with down. |
| RANGE | The Wigeon is common and widespread throughout North America during different times of the year. |
| HABITAT | They habitat open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes. |
| DIET | They mainly feed by dabbling for plants and young grass shoots. It also eats insects, mollusks and crustaceans. |
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| American Wigeon | |
| Montezuma
National Wildlife Refuge Seneca County, New York |
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| AmWg_070B_005232 | AmWg_070B_017473 |
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| AmWg_070B_017694 | AmWg_070B_032100 |
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Bob-white Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes |
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| INTERESTING FACTS |
| Wildfowl Refuge |
| A nature reserve established specifically to protect wildfowl, especially their winter flocks. |
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Please email with any ideas or comments concerning this web page. |
| The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit. |
NOTE: This site will be updated as time and pictures become available.
Visit Mammals of North America
American
Wigeon (Anas americana)
Updated 10-19-2008