Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 16.5–23.2 in
42–59 cm - Wingspan
- 33.1 in
84 cm - Weight
- 19–46.9 oz
540–1330 g
Other Names
- Baldpate, American Widgeon
- Canard d'Amerique (French)
- Pato chalcuán, Pato americano (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The American Wigeon was formerly known as "Baldpate" because the white stripe resembled a bald man's head.
- The American Wigeon is a rare, but regular straggler to Europe where it turns up in flocks of Eurasian Wigeon.
- The American Wigeon's short bill enables it to exert more force at the bill tip than other dabbling ducks, thus permitting efficient dislodging and plucking of vegetation.
- The America Wigeon is the dabbling duck most likely to leave water and graze on vegetation in fields. However, feeding in fields on grain, such as corn, is rather rare.
- The American Wigeon's diet has a higher proportion of plant matter than the diet of any other dabbling duck.
Habitat
Lake/Pond
Shallow freshwater wetlands, including ponds, marshes, and rivers.
Food
Plants
Aquatic plants; some insects and mollusks during the breeding season.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–13 eggs
- Egg Description
- Creamy white.
- Condition at Hatching
- Covered in down and able to leave the nest soon after hatching.
Nest Description
A depression on the ground, lined with grasses and down. Nest is located in tall grass or shrubs, often far from water.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Dabbler
American Wigeon courtship displays include tail-wagging, head-turning, wing-flapping, and sudden jumps out of the water.Feeds on vegetation at and just below surface. Submerges head and tips tail up to reach plants under surface.
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations declined by approximately 50 percent in the 1980s as a result of extended drought in prairie regions, but have since largely recovered. Widely hunted in the United States in fall, subject to federal limits.
Credits
- Mowbray, T. 1999. American Wigeon (Anas americana). In The Birds of North America, No. 401 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.