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Eurasian Wigeon

Anas penelope

Description:

According to Wikipedia, this dabbling duck is 42–52 cm (17–20 in) long with a 71–80 cm (28–31 in) wingspan, and a weight of 500–1,073 g (1.1–2.37 lb). The breeding male has grey flanks and back, with a black rear end and a dark green speculum and a brilliant white patch on upper wings, 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 drake looks more like the female. The female is light brown, with plumage much like a female American Wigeon. It can be distinguished from most other ducks, apart from American Wigeon, on shape. However, that species has a paler head and white axillaries on its underwing. The female can be a rufous morph with a redder head, and a gray morph with a more gray head.

Habitat:

It breeds in the northernmost areas of Europe and Asia. It is the Old World counterpart of North America's American Wigeon. It is strongly migratory and winters further south than its breeding range. It migrates to southern Asia and Africa. In Great Britain and Ireland the Eurasian Wigeon is common as a winter visitor, but scarce as a breeding bird in Scotland, the Lake District, the Pennines and occasionally further south, with only a handful of breeding pairs in Ireland. It can be found as an uncommon winter visitor in the United States on the mid-Atlantic and Pacific coasts. It is a rare visitor to the rest of the United States except for the Four Corners and the southern Appalachians.

Notes:

This sole red headed Wigeon was swimming among a flock of American Wigeon. The Eurasian Wigeon, also known as Widgeon or Eurasian Widgeon (Anas penelope, previously Mareca penelope) is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. It is common and widespread within its range. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 under its current scientific name.

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7 Comments

Reza Hashemizadeh
Reza Hashemizadeh 11 years ago

Road trip !

AshleyT
AshleyT 11 years ago

It would be a miracle if one ever showed up in Texas! Guess I just need to go to California soon :)

Reza Hashemizadeh
Reza Hashemizadeh 11 years ago

Thank you Ashley for the initial ID and Thank you Liam for the confirmation, Ashley I hope you see one really soon :)

AshleyT
AshleyT 11 years ago

Ahhh I'm so jealous! I hope to be able to see one of these someday :)

Liam
Liam 11 years ago

I agree - a Eurasian Wigeon! They are much less common than the American here in America (I wonder why), but they are expected in your area.

Reza Hashemizadeh
Reza Hashemizadeh 11 years ago

Thanks Ashley !

AshleyT
AshleyT 11 years ago

I think this is an Eurasian Wigeon. If I'm correct about that, it is an extremely cool find!!

Reza Hashemizadeh
Spotted by
Reza Hashemizadeh

California, USA

Spotted on Feb 27, 2013
Submitted on Feb 27, 2013

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