WILDLIFE – WIGEON

The Wigeon – Anas Penelope

A common medium sized ( 650- 800g ) dabbling duck, the wigeon is a winter visitor that gathers in large numbers, particularly on wet grasslands, floodplain meadows, flooded gravel pits and reservoirs with gently sloping edges where they can easily get out onto the grassy banks. Wigeon can be spotted dabbling in close-knit groups or flying in tight formations over wetlands.

The wigeon has a round head and short bill. Males are grey with a pink breast, orange head, yellow forehead and obvious white wing patches that can be seen when they fly. Females are similar to mallard females, but with rusty brown plumage and a pointed tail. The average lifespan is around 3 years.

Throughout courtship males give a slow high-pitched whistle. Once paired, they stay together until the female is partway through incubation, after which the male usually leaves and prepares to molt. They build their nests near ponds and lakes. A wigeon’s nest is normally a ground depression lined with grass and down hidden in dense vegetation . The female builds the nest, female lays a single clutch of three to 13 eggs. Females incubate the eggs for around 24 days.

Wigeons are primarily herbivores with a diet that consists mostly of aquatic plants and grasses. They feed both in the water and on land, showing a particular fondness for algae, sedge, duckweed, grass and wheat. As dabbling ducks, wigeons often upend in the water, tails in the air, as they feed just below the surface.

Conservation status

While wigeons are primarily migratory visitors to the UK, they’re far from rare during the winter months. These seasonal visitors can be found across England and Wales, making their homes in a range of wetland habitats. The species is currently classified as Amber here in the UK under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). They are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.