Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

A dapper dabbling duck with a distinctive whistle, found on wetlands across Europe and Asia.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The Eurasian Wigeon is a medium-sized duck with a distinctive appearance. Males have a chestnut-coloured head with a cream forehead and crown, grey body, and black rear end. Their wings feature a white patch visible in flight.

Females are predominantly mottled brown, lacking the male's striking colouration. They are also typically smaller than males. Both sexes have a blue-grey bill with a black tip and grey legs. In eclipse plumage, males resemble females but retain their wing pattern.

Juveniles are similar in appearance to females. By their first winter, young males develop the distinctive grey body and chestnut head of adult males, but it takes a further year for the white wing markings to be fully defined.

Size

Length

42cm to 51cm

Wingspan

71cm to 85cm

Weight

500g to 900g

Colours

Male Female

Primary Colour

Brown Grey White

Secondary Colour

Green Black

Beak Colour

Blue Grey

Leg Colour

Grey

Primary Colour (Female)

Brown

Secondary Colour (Female)

Buff

Beak Colour (Female)

Blue Grey

Leg Colour (Female)

Grey

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Eurasian Wigeon is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Eurasian Wigeon is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Eurasian Wigeon can be found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Eurasian Wigeon can be found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Eurasian Wigeon is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Eurasian Wigeon is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Eurasian Wigeon can be found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Eurasian Wigeon is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Eurasian Wigeon is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Eurasian Wigeon is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Eurasian Wigeon is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Eurasian Wigeon is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Eurasian Wigeons breed across northern Europe and Asia, from Iceland to Siberia. They prefer shallow freshwater wetlands, lakes, and coastal lagoons for breeding. During winter, they migrate to temperate and subtropical regions.

Large numbers winter in the UK, particularly along the east and south coasts. They are also found in coastal areas of western Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, and parts of southern Asia during non-breeding seasons.

The Somerset Levels are known as a favourite spot for wintering wigeons, with tens of thousands being recorded in some years. UK breeding Wigeons can be found in central and northern Scotland and parts of northern England, where up to 400 pairs breed each year.

Elevation Range

Up to 1,000 meters

Climate zones

Temperate, Subarctic

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Eurasian Wigeon. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons