European wigeon, Widgeon, Wigeon
Eurasian wigeons (Mareca penelope) are widespread dabbling ducks within their Palearctic range. They are very strong flyers and migrate long distances to spend winter in warm countries of southern Asia and Africa.
The breeding male of this species has grey flanks and back, with a black rear end, 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 male 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.
Eurasian wigeons breed in the northernmost areas of Europe and the Palearctic. They are strongly migratory and winters further south than their breeding range. They spend winter in southern Asia and Africa. In Great Britain and Ireland, Eurasian wigeons are common as winter visitors, but scarce as breeding birds in Scotland, the Lake District, the Pennines, and occasionally further south, with only a handful of breeding pairs in Ireland. They can also be found as rare winter visitors in the United States on the mid-Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Eurasian wigeons like to live in open wetlands, such as wet grasslands or marshes with some taller vegetation, slow-flowing large rivers, and shallow lakes and lagoons. They especially favor areas surrounded by woods and agricultural land.
Eurasian wigeons are highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and form large flocks. They also join with flocks of the American wigeon in the United States. During the breeding season, Eurasian wigeons prefer to nest in pairs or small groups. They are active during the daylight hours spending their time feeding, resting, or swimming but sometimes may feed at night. They feed by upending on the water surface or grazing on land, and only rarely diving. Eurasian wigeons are noisy birds; the male has a clear whistle that sounds like: 'pjiew pjiew', whereas the female has a low growl that sounds like 'rawr'.
Eurasian wigeons are herbivores (graminivores, folivores, granivores) and feed on both aquatic and terrestrial plants. They eat leaves, roots, stems, grasses, grains, and seeds.
Eurasian wigeons are serially monogamous meaning that pairs remain together only for one breeding season. They usually breed between April and May. After the pair is formed, the male will guard the female until she lays the eggs. Once the female has laid eggs the male departs for molting grounds. Eurasian wigeons nest on the ground, near water, and under cover. The female lays 6-12 eggs and incubates them for about 24-25 days. Ducklings are covered in down and able to walk soon after hatching. They fledge at 40-45 days and become reproductively mature at one to two years of age.
Eurasian wigeons suffer from the loss of their habitat mainly due to the development and drainage of wetlands, disturbances, and pollution.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Eurasian wigeon is around 2,800,000-3,300,000 individuals. The European population consists of 469,000-645,000 pairs, which equates to 937,000-1,290,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, but its numbers today are decreasing.
