The American Wigeon

“What dabbling duck prefers grazing on land and stealing food from diving ducks and coots?”

The American wigeon (Mareca americana) migrates through southern Nevada – and Clark County Wetlands Park – during the cooler months of the year and breeding season. They congregate in flocks and prefer grabbing their meals “in the fields” or stealing from diving birds over water.

These birds are compact, with round heads and pale beaks. Males and females each have distinguishing features. The males boast a distinctive green eye patch or stripe that extends from behind the eye. The green wing stripe contrasts with the male’s white cap (also referred to as a baldpate), making them highly recognizable. In some lighting conditions the green stripe can look bronzy. In flight, the male has a prominent white patch on its upper wing with green secondaries, and white under its wing. Nonbreeding males have reddish brown bodies with brownish gray head and a dark smudge around the eye. The prominent white and green secondary feathers may not be visible.

Females, in contrast, display more subdued plumage. They lack the green stripes and instead have warm, brown-colored bodies with gray-brown heads and subtle black smudges around their eyes. Their coloration provides excellent camouflage from predators.

Both male and female birds have short, round, bluish-gray bills with black tips, offering striking contrasts that makes it easier to identify them, even from a distance. The shape of the bill is well-suited for dabbling in shallow water, stealing from other birds, or grazing.

American wigeon males are known for their distinctive high-pitched whistle, often described as a “whee-ooo,” which rings out across quiet lakes, ponds, and wetlands. The call is high-pitched and somewhat wheezy, resembling a squeaky toy. It serves as a primary means of communication with females and rivals during breeding season. Females have different calls. They emit hoarse grunts and quacks that contrast with the male’s whistle.

American wigeons exhibit exceptional agility and speed in flight. Their wings are relatively short and pointed, facilitating quick and precise maneuvers. This design helps the bird navigate through various environments with ease. A key feature observed during flight is the conspicuous white patch on the upper wing surface. This patch is bordered by a thin, iridescent green stripe, making the American Wigeon easy to identify when airborne.

Groups of American Wigeons are often noisy as they travel in formation, which is particularly noticeable during migration seasons. The coordinated effort in their flight patterns ensures both speed and safety for the flock.

Most dabbling ducks feed mostly on the seeds of aquatic plants, grasses, and grains, but the “Wigeon Café” serves mostly the stems and leafy parts of aquatic plants like pondweeds, sedges, and algae, seasoned with some insects and snails. The birds may feed by day or night. On land, wigeons graze on young grass shoots, and consume seeds and grains. Very young ducklings will eat many insects.

Since wigeons do not dive, they often rely on “acquiring” aquatic plants dislodged by diving ducks as they feed, or even on “stealing” plant foods from them. A wigeon intent on food theft waits on the surface of the water near feeding coots or diving ducks like redheads and canvasbacks. When the diver emerges from the water with vegetation dangling from its bill, the wigeon grabs some of it. Interestingly, the coots and ducks seem to take this bit of “highway robbery” in stride, appearing to simply tolerate it!

In California (and other areas), wigeons thrive on their very own “wigeon grass”  (Ruppia cirrhosa or Ruppia maritima), which is found in flooded brackish marshes, channels, ponds, rivers, coastal wetlands, low-lying basins of high evaporation and infrequent inputs of freshwater into alkaline wetlands. As of this writing, the grass can be found as far east as Death Valley.

Wigeons begin pairing up on their wintering grounds from the northwest United States south into central Mexico, with most of the older birds paired before the spring migration to their breeding grounds, centered in the Canadian prairies. Several males often court one female. In one display, the male extends its neck forward with head low, bill open, while raising tips of folded wings, revealing white wing patches. Of course, much “whistling” ensues!

American wigeons choose their nesting sites with great care. They prefer to nest on dry land, often in areas concealed by tall weeds and grasses and not directly by the water. These locations provide essential cover from predators, reduce the risk of discovery, and provide proximity to feeding areas.

Female wigeons take on the responsibility of nest building. They make shallow depressions in the ground, fill it with grasses and weeds, and then line the structure with down feathers to keep the eggs warm. The choice of tall grass and weeds as cover is essential, ensuring that the eggs and later, the ducklings, remain hidden from threats.

Females can lay up to a dozen white eggs. The females incubate the eggs, too: up to 24 days. They stay with the ducklings until the youngsters fly. Males usually leave the scene before the eggs hatch. The ducklings leave the nest shortly after hatching and feed themselves. Juvenile American wigeons display plumage that closely mimics that of the adult females.

Take a walk along the Las Vegas Wash in the Fall and Winter months and try spotting the American wigeons among the “other brown ducks.” You may be surprised that you can do so!

– By Constance Carlson, Director of Communications; photo: Roy Ingram

Please enjoy these YouTube videos!

American Wigeon Call

American Wigeon Pair

American Wigeon at Sunset Park in Las Vegas