Anas penelope

Geographic Range

Eurasian wigeons ( Anas penelope ) have a very large distribution, they breed from Iceland across northern Europe and Asia. Although they are mostly migratory, some British populations are mainly stationary. Migratory populations winter from the British Isles to northern Africa and India, with a few reaching the United States and Canada.

• Biogeographic Regions
• nearctic nearctic
  • native native
• palearctic palearctic
  • native native

Habitat

During the breeding season, Eurasian wigeons occupy many different wetlands including shallow freshwater marshes, lagoons, and lakes with abundant floating and submerged vegetation, accompanied by mud or silt bottoms. Wigeons can also be found in slow moving rivers and streams. Eurasian wigeons favor meadow shorelines or those scattered with trees. Throughout the winter, Eurasian wigeons use tidal mud flats or salt marshes for gatherings. Wintering wigeons can also be found in freshwater lagoons and flooded grasslands.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• freshwater freshwater

• Terrestrial Biomes
• tundra tundra

• Aquatic Biomes
• lakes and ponds
• rivers and streams
• coastal coastal
• brackish water brackish water

• Wetlands
• swamp swamp
• bog bog

• Other Habitat Features
• riparian riparian
• estuarine estuarine

Physical Description

Eurasian wigeons are medium-sized ducks, ranging in length from 45 to 58 cm, with a wing span of 75 to 86 cm. They weigh between 415 to 971 g and are sexually dimorphic, where males are more vibrantly colored. Eurasian wigeons have small bills, narrow wings, a pointed tail, and a crested forehead. Adult males have a creamy white forehead with a chestnut brown head and neck and iridescent green speckling behind their eyes. Their upper breast is pinkish brown and their lower breast and flanks are white but appear grey. They have a black tipped tail with white upper coverts; wing coverts are also white with a black tip. Eurasian wigeons have greenish secondaries and dust brown primaries, with bluish grey feet and bills that are tipped in black. Males in eclipse plumage look similar to females but have white wing coverts. Adult females have a beige head and neck, which is speckled greenish, and their sides and breast are rufous. Their rump and shoulders are dusky and their wings are grayish brown. They also have a blue grey bill tipped with black and bluish legs. Eurasian wigeons are most commonly confused with American wigeons . Adult male Eurasian wigeons can be distinguished from American wigeons by their reddish head and grey vermiculated sides. Females are remarkably similar but Eurasian wigeons have speckled grey at the base of their wings, where as American wigeons have white.

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• sexes colored or patterned differently
• male more colorful

Reproduction

Eurasian wigeons are seasonally monogamous with pair bonds forming from late autumn and continuing throughout the winter.

• Mating System
• monogamous monogamous

The breeding season of Eurasian wigeons ranges from April to May. They lay seven to eleven eggs in a small depression lined with vegetation and down. Preferred nest sites are near shorelines covered by overhanging branches. Incubation periods range from 22 to 25 days, with an average of 24 days. Eurasian wigeons are independent at, or slightly before the fledgling stage, which they reach in 40 to 45 days. Sexual maturity is reached at one to two years.

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• oviparous oviparous

Once pair bonds are formed, male Eurasian wigeons defend their mate until the breeding season. When incubation has begun, males typically leave their mate and begin molting. Once incubation has started, up until the time of fledging, all care is provided by the female.

• Parental Investment
• precocial precocial
• pre-fertilization
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-independence
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• post-independence association with parents

Lifespan/Longevity

Based on a banding study in Britain, the oldest recorded wild Eurasian wigeon lived 35 years, 2 months.

Behavior

Eurasian wigeons are a social, migratory species, except during the breeding season. These birds are dabbling ducks that feed both in water and on land. Typically they feed with outstretched heads and necks, they but will up-end if the conditions are right. Both sexes go through a flightless molt. Males gather in molting flocks while females incubate eggs and raise hatchlings. Females and fledglings join males later in the summer before migration begins. In North America, Eurasian wigeons can be found in mixed flocks of ducks, especially with American wigeons .

• Key Behaviors
• flies
• natatorial natatorial
• diurnal diurnal
• nocturnal nocturnal
• motile motile
• migratory migratory
• social social

Home Range

There is very little information available regarding the home range size of Eurasian wigeons. Breeding birds can have varying degrees of territoriality. In one case, an island population of 35 to 40 breeding pairs was found 8 to 34 meters apart. In the winter, they have been recorded traveling about 2.8 km each day between roosting and foraging sites.

Communication and Perception

Eurasian wigeons are strongly vocal, males make a loud whistling call, “phee oo,” while females make a low pitched growl or hum, “errr”. The calls of Eurasian wigeons are similar to American wigeons ; however, male Eurasian wigeons have shorter, louder calls.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• acoustic acoustic

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Eurasian wigeons are dabbling ducks that may fly up to 16 km to feed. They feed in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Wigeons can feed on aquatic vegetation by both surface filter feeding and up-end feeding. To filter feed, they strain water and plant material through tiny tooth like groves in their bill. Tip-up or up-end feeding is used to reach submergant vegetation. Eurasian wigeons are herbivores and granivores. They eat leaves, stems, roots, and seeds. Some specific plants eaten by this species include; fringed water lily , duckweed , water crowfoot and Canadian pondweed . Eurasian wigeons have been known to feed near swans and diving ducks on pondweed beds. Feeding amongst large diving birds allows them to steal food as it comes to the surface.

• Primary Diet
• herbivore herbivore
  • folivore folivore
  • granivore granivore

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• roots and tubers
• wood, bark, or stems
• seeds, grains, and nuts
• algae

Predation

Red foxes , common ravens , American minks , and hooded crows are common nest predators of Eurasian wigeons. Likewise, adult birds are often hunted by gyrfalcons and western marsh-harriers . To avoid terrestrial predators, Eurasian wigeons quack loudly in groups and follow the predator's movements. When avian predators are detected, Eurasian wigeons flee to vegetation and lay motionless with their necks stretched out until the threat has passed. Eurasian wigeons mainly escape predators by flight, but they may also dive.

Ecosystem Roles

Eurasian wigeons feed on wetland plants throughout their range. These birds are also prey items for a variety of mammalian and avian predators.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Eurasian wigeons are commercially and recreationally hunted. In some areas, eggs are harvested and individuals are raised as pets.

• Positive Impacts
• pet trade pet trade
• food food

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

There are currently no known negative impacts of Eurasian wigeons on humans.

Conservation Status

The exact population size of Eurasian wigeons is unknown; however, the estimated global population is 2,800,000 to 3,300,000. This population size gives this species a ranking of least concern on the IUCN Red List. There is no current listing for Eurasian wigeons on the US Migratory Bird Act or the US Federal List. However, Cites does list Eurasian wigeons in appendix III.

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

BioKIDS Critter Catalog

Contributors

Cody Tromberg (author), University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, Christopher Yahnke (editor), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Adam DeBolt (editor), Leila Siciliano Martina (editor), Texas State University.

References

Batt, B., A. Afton, M. Anderson, C. Ankney, D. Johnson, J. Kadlec, G. Krapu. 1992. Ecology and Management of Breeding Waterfowl . Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Butchart, S., J. Ekstrom, L. Malpas. 2013. "Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope " (On-line). Accessed August 21, 2013 at http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=429&m=1 .

Carboneras, C. 1992. Anas penelope . Pp. 601 in Handbook of the Birds of the World , Vol. 1 Ostrich to Ducks. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.

Cramp, S., K. Simmons. 1977. Handbook of the birds of Europe. The Middle East and North Africa. The birds of the Western Palearctic, Vol. I: ostriches to ducks . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Fransson, T., T. Kolehmainen, C. Kroon, L. Jansson, T. Wenniger. 2010. "European Longevity Records" (On-line). Accessed August 21, 2013 at http://www.euring.org/data_and_codes/longevity-voous.htm .

Gudmundsson, F. 1979. The Past Status and Exploitation of the Myvatn Waterfowl Populations. Nordic Society Oikos , 32: 232-249.

Jacobsen, O., M. Ugelvik. 1992. Anti-Predator Behavior of Breeding Eurasian Wigeon. Journal of Field Ornithology , 63: 324-330.

Johnsgard, P. 1978. Ducks, Geese, and Swans of the World . Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press.

Legagneux, P., C. Blaize, F. Latraube, J. Gautier, V. Bretagnolle. 2009. Variation in home-range size and movements of wintering dabbling ducks. Journal of Ornithology , 150: 183-193.

Scott, D., P. Rose. 1996. Atlas of Anatidae Populations in Africa and Western Eurasia. Wetlands International Publications , No. 41: 116-118.