Family Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae)
Least Concern
Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope)
Taxonomy
French: Canard siffleur German: Pfeifente Spanish: Silbón europeo
Taxonomy:
Anas Penelope
Linnaeus
, 1758,coasts and swamps of Europe
.Distribution:
From Iceland and N Britain E across N Europe and N Asia to Pacific coast. In winter moves to C & S Europe, S Asia and N & C Africa, and reaches North America.
Descriptive notes
45–51 cm; male mostly 600–1000 g, female 500–800 g; wingspan 75–86 cm. Male has chestnut head and neck, with yellowish crown, sometimes has metallic... read more
Voice
Most characteristic is piercing, whistled “whee-OOO” by male, given both in flight, on water or... read more
Habitat
Shallow, freshwater marshes, lakes and lagoons surrounded by scattered trees or open forest during... read more
Food and feeding
Essentially vegetarian; leaves, stems, roots, rhizomes and seeds of grasses, sedges and aquatic vegetation, e.g. saltmarsh grass (... read more
Breeding
Starts Apr–Jun, varying across range according to latitude, with nests sometimes initiated in Apr in Scotland, but may not arrive on... read more
Movements
Basically migratory, descending to lower latitudes to winter throughout most of W & C Europe,... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Abundant, concentrates in large numbers in wintering grounds, at which season five main populations identified, namely in NW Europe (... read more
Normally placed in Anas. Closest to M. americana and M. sibilatrix. Morphological characters support a sister relationship between present species and M. americana, with M. sibilatrix basal to the two, whereas mtDNA suggests that divergence of present species took place before that of M. americana and M. sibilatrix#R. In addition, morphology indicates a sister relationship between the three wigeon species and M. falcata, with M. strepera basal to these four species, but mtDNA supports a sister relationship between M. strepera and M. falcata to the exclusion of the wigeons#R. Present species hybridizes with M. americana and infrequently with other duck species#R. Monotypic.