Bird name:

American Wigeon

Anas americanaOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Codes: Common Name: AMWI Scientific Name: ANAAME ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175094

American Wigeon - The male American Wigeon has a white forehead and crown, wide green ear patch and a white head with heavy black streaking and a pale blue bill with a black tip.

American Wigeon Female - The female American Wigeon is mottled brown with a gray head that has heavy fine black streaking and a brown breast.

American Wigeon Eclipse Male - The male eclipse American Wigeon has more black streaking on the head and neck and lacks the green ear patch and white on the head, the upperparts are brown and the breast and flanks are chestnut.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

American Wigeon

American Wigeon: Medium dabbling duck, brown body with white crown, large green ear patch extending to back of head, buff washed breast and sides, and white belly. White shoulder patches visible in flight. Black-tipped pale blue bill. Swift direct flight, strong wing beats. Flies in tight flocks.

● Song: "whew, whew, whew"

● Foraging & Feeding: American Wigeon: Opportunistic and aggressive feeder, often foraging in open water by stealing materials brought to the surface by diving ducks and coots. Feeds primarily on leafy aquatic plants, grass, and agricultural crops; also takes insects and other aquatic invertebrates.

● Breeding & nesting: American Wigeon: Six to twelve creamy white eggs are laid in a down-lined nest made of grass, often several hundred yards from water. Incubation ranges from 22 to 25 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: American Wigeon: Eurasian Wigeon has rufous head, buff forehead and crown, and grayer sides and back.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with strong wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: American Wigeon: Breeds from Alaska, northern Manitoba and southern Quebec south to Nevada, the Dakotas, and the Great Lakes region, rarely farther east. Spends winters mainly along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf coasts. Marshes, ponds, and shallow lakes are preferred habitats.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationStable

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight27.2 Ounces

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

American Wigeon

American Wigeon

Flight Pattern