American Widgeon or Baldpate

The American Wigeon (also American Widgeon or Baldpate), Anas americana, is a common and widespread duck which breeds in northern North America: specifically, in Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Alaska, and the Great Lakes. It is the New World counterpart of the Eurasian Wigeon.

This dabbling duck is strongly migratory and winters further south than its breeding range, in Texas, Louisiana, and other areas of the Gulf of Mexico coast. It is a rare but regular vagrant to western Europe. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks.

Description:

The breeding male has pinkish flanks and breast back, with a black rear end and a brilliant white speculum, obvious in flight or at rest. It has a greyish head with a green eye patch and a whitish crown stripe. It is 45-56 cm (18-23 inches) long.

The females are light brown, with plumage much like a female Mallard. They can be distinguished from most ducks, apart from Eurasian Wigeon on shape. However, that species has a darker head and all grey underwing. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake looks more like the female.

Habitat:

It is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some taller vegetation, and usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing, which it does very readily.

We all enjoy these beautiful birds and many of us offer them food to encourage them to come over and stay around - and it works! Who doesn't like an easy meal!

However, the foods that we traditionally feed them at local ponds are utterly unsuitable for them and are likely to cause health problems down the road. Also, there may be local laws against feeding this species of bird - so it's best to check on that rather than facing consequences at a later stage.

Nesting

It nests on the ground, near water and under cover. It lays 6-12 creamy white eggs.

Song:

This is a noisy species. The male has a clear whistle in three syllables: whoee-whoe-whoe, whereas the female has a low growl qua-ack.