Mareca americana
The American Wigeon, Mareca americana, is a striking and widespread dabbling duck, instantly recognizable by the male's brilliant white crown resembling a bald patch, giving rise to its historical common name, 'Baldpate.' Males also feature a distinctive iridescent green patch behind the eye, a rosy-pinkish breast, and clean white flanks, contrasting with a gray body and black undertail coverts. Females, more subtly patterned in mottled brown and gray, still possess a dusky head, a white bell...
Primarily inhabiting shallow freshwater wetlands such as marshes, ponds, lakes, and slow-moving rivers, American Wigeons also utilize brackish estuaries and coastal lagoons, generally preferring areas with abundant aquatic vegetation in low to moderate elevations.
Their diet consists predominantly of aquatic vegetation, including the leaves, stems, and seeds of pondweeds, wild celery, and grasses, supplemented by some aquatic insects and small invertebrates, often obtained by dabbling or grazing on land.
American Wigeons are primarily diurnal foragers, spending much of the day dabbling and grazing, and typically roosting in open water at night. Their foraging strategy is unique among dabblers; while they do dabble for submerged vegetation, they are also avid grazers, often feeding on short grasse...
The American Wigeon breeds across a vast area of northwestern North America, from Alaska and the Yukon south through much of interior Canada, extending into the northern prairies and Great Lakes regions of the United States. During the non-breeding season, they undertake extensive migrations to w...
Least Concern
- The American Wigeon was historically known as 'Baldpate' due to the male's striking white crown, which resembles a bald head. - They are famous for their kleptoparasitic behavior, often stealing food from diving ducks like Canvasbacks or coots as they surface with vegetation. - The male's disti...