American Wigeon
Mareca americana
Also known as: American Widgeon, Baldpate
About This Species
This dabbling duck grazes on grass and aquatic vegetation in flooded fields, marshes, and shallow lake edges, often taking food that diving ducks and coots bring to the surface. Breeding males show a distinctive white crown patch and green eye stripe, giving rise to the old nickname baldpate. Large wintering flocks on lakes, reservoirs, and coastal marshes across temperate North America make late fall through winter the easiest time to see numbers together.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Viewing from shore or a vehicle at 30-50 metres avoids flushing feeding or resting flocks, which is especially disruptive during cold weather when energy reserves are critical.
- Hunting seasons and protections vary by state, province, and country across its range, so check local wildlife regulations rather than assume a single rule applies.
- Avoid approaching birds on ice or in tight winter roosts, since panicked flight in cold conditions can be costly to survival.
LCAvesAnseriformesAnatidae
Seasonal Activity
3,429,823 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.