# 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. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Wigeon ![Eurasian Wigeon](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/111780119/medium.jpeg) Photo: Christoph Moning, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/111780119) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Mareca ## 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 - **Grassland Grazer:** Eurasian Wigeon can efficiently eat tough grasses because of their strong bill, helping them get energy from plants. - **Whistle Talker:** Eurasian Wigeon has a unique 'whee-oo' whistle call that helps them communicate clearly over long distances with their flock. - **Food Snatcher:** 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 - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eelgrass) (*Zostera marina*) — A favorite food source in coastal wintering areas. - **Eats:** [Kentucky bluegrass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kentucky-bluegrass) (*Poa pratensis*) — Feeds on tender blades of this common grass. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-eagle) (*Haliaeetus albicilla*) — A powerful raptor that preys on adult ducks. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Predator of eggs, ducklings, and sometimes adult ducks. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch ducks from a distance and don't feed them bread. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Eurasian Wigeon? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Eurasian Wigeon? 42-59 cm ### What is Eurasian Wigeon's wingspan? 71-80 cm ### How much does Eurasian Wigeon weigh? 0.5-1.07 kg ### How long does Eurasian Wigeon live? 2-18 years ### How fast can Eurasian Wigeon move? 100 km/h ### What does Eurasian Wigeon eat? These ducks are mostly vegetarians, munching on grasses and aquatic plants from the surface. ### Where is Eurasian Wigeon usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Cedarmere-Clayton Estates](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedarmere-clayton-estates) — New York, US · Historic District - [Matthews Beach Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/matthews-beach-park) — Washington, US · Park - [Naturpark Mecklenburgische Schweiz und Kummerower See](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mecklenburgische-schweiz-kummerower-see-nature-park) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Park - [Evergreen Rotary Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/evergreen-rotary-park) — Washington, US · Park - [Freizeitpark Rheinaue (Bonn)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/freizeitpark-rheinaue-bonn) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Park - [Arima Fuji Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arima-fuji-park) — Kansai, JP · Park [View all places to see Eurasian Wigeon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/eurasian-wigeon) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Eurasian Wigeon: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-wigeon)