Mareca marecula
The Amsterdam Wigeon (Mareca marecula) is a petite and strikingly patterned dabbling duck endemic to the remote subantarctic islands of Amsterdam and Saint Paul in the southern Indian Ocean. Males measure 40-45 cm in length with a wingspan of 70-75 cm and weigh 500-700g, while females are slightly smaller at 38-42 cm. Distinguishing features of the male include a rich chestnut head and neck, offset by a shimmering metallic green crown, a pinkish-buff breast, and finely vermiculated grey flank...
This species primarily inhabits brackish and freshwater marshes, coastal lagoons, and estuarine wetlands, favoring shallow, sheltered waters with abundant submerged vegetation, from sea level up to 200 meters.
The diet is almost exclusively vegetarian, consisting of submerged aquatic plants, grasses, seeds, and occasionally small invertebrates, obtained primarily through dabbling and grazing.
Amsterdam Wigeons are diurnal, spending daylight hours actively foraging and resting, often communally, on open water or sheltered banks. They are primarily grazers and dabblers, tipping-up in shallow water to reach aquatic vegetation. During the breeding season, males establish and defend small ...
The Amsterdam Wigeon is an island endemic, found exclusively on Amsterdam Island (Île Amsterdam) and the nearby Saint Paul Island, both French territories in the southern Indian Ocean. It breeds primarily on Amsterdam Island, which supports the larger population, with a smaller, satellite breedin...
Vulnerable
- The Amsterdam Wigeon holds the title of the smallest true wigeon species globally. - Its scientific name, *marecula*, is derived from Latin, meaning 'little sea-dweller,' an apt description for its size and coastal habitat. - Discovered by Dutch ornithologists in the 17th century, its common na...