Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

The Eurasian Wigeon is a beautiful duck with a striking reddish-brown head and a white forehead. These ducks love to swim in lakes and rivers, where they search for tasty plants to eat.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Eurasian Wigeon male has a striking chestnut-coloured head with a creamy-yellow stripe on its forehead, a grey body, and a pinkish breast. Females are mottled brown, making them harder to spot. Both have a small, distinctive sky-blue bill with a black tip.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusMareca

Eurasian Wigeon

Interesting facts

During winter, thousands of Eurasian Wigeons can gather in huge noisy flocks!

Their name "wigeon" comes from an old word meaning "whistling duck"!

These ducks don't usually dive for food; they prefer to graze on land!

They sometimes follow swans to eat bits of plants that float to the surface!

Special abilities

Eurasian Wigeon can efficiently eat tough grasses because of their strong bill, helping them get energy from plants.

Eurasian Wigeon has a unique 'whee-oo' whistle call that helps them communicate clearly over long distances with their flock.

Eurasian Wigeon sometimes steals food from other diving birds, helping them save energy by not having to dive themselves.

Measurements & details

Length: 42-59 cm
Wingspan: 71-80 cm
Weight: 0.5-1.07 kg
Lifespan: 2-18 years
Top Speed: 100 km/h
Clutch Size: 7-10
Incubation: 24-25 days
Migration Distance: 5000 km

Diet & Feeding

These ducks are mostly vegetarians, munching on grasses and aquatic plants from the surface.

Primary Foods

Grasses
Sedges
Aquatic plant leaves
Aquatic plant stems
Aquatic plant seeds

Foraging Method

Grazing

Ecological connections

eaten by

Eelgrass

Zostera marina

A favorite food source in coastal wintering areas.

eats

Kentucky bluegrass

Poa pratensis

Feeds on tender blades of this common grass.

eaten by

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

A powerful raptor that preys on adult ducks.

eaten by

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Predator of eggs, ducklings, and sometimes adult ducks.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Singing

Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Filter Feeder

Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.

Herbivorous

This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.