American Wigeon, Mareca americana

American Wigeon, Mareca americana, Female. Photograph taken in the San José del Cabo Rió Lagoon, Baja California Sur, February 2016. Photograph courtesy of Carol Snow, Del Mar, California.

American Wigeon, Mareca americana, Female. Photograph taken in the coastal area of Yavaros, Sonora, January 2020. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

American Wigeon, Mareca americana. Photograph taken within a residential community in Alamos, Sonora, March 2019. Photograph and  identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

American Wigeon, Mareca americana, Male. Photograph taken in the coastal area of Yavaros, Sonora, January 2020. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

Background and Identification

The American Wigeon, Mareca americana, is a member of the Anatidae Family of Ducks, Geese and Waterfowl. They are mid-sized in stature. In Mexico, they are winter visitors and found in all parts of the country except around the Yucatán Peninsula and the State of Chiapas. Both sexes produce a distinctive whistling call, often heard in their wetland habitats. They consume aquatic plants and grasses, a wide and diverse collection of seeds, and planktonic algae. In Mexico, they are called Pato Chalcuán.

The American Wigeon is known for its distinctive appearance. Males in breeding plumage are easily recognizable by their striking white foreheads and crowns, contrasting with a green patch extending from the eyes to the back of the head. Their bodies are mainly grey, with a pinkish-brown chest. They also have a characteristic white patch on the outermost part of their wings, which is most visible in flight. Females and non-breeding (immature) males are more subdued in coloration, featuring mottled brown plumage with a grey head and a pale blue bill.

Habitat and Geographical Range

American Wigeons are highly adaptable waterfowl and occupy a variety of wetland habitats, both natural and man-made. Wherever they are, they prefer areas with abundant aquatic vegetation, which provides both food and cover from predators. They are also commonly seen in agricultural fields and pastures, where they forage for grains and seeds.

During the breeding season, they are found in freshwater marshes, ponds, lakes, and rivers, particularly in the northern United States and Canada. In the Winter, they migrate south to coastal marshes, estuaries, and inland wetlands across the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.

Common Misidentifications

Due to their distinctive features, American Wigeons are relatively easy to identify, but they can sometimes be confused with other duck species. One common misidentification is with the Eurasian Wigeon, Mareca Penelope, especially in areas where their ranges overlap during migration. The Eurasian Wigeon male has a reddish-brown head and lacks the green eye patch of the American Wigeon, while the female is similar to the American Wigeon female but can be distinguished by subtle differences in plumage coloration and patterns. Another potential confusion could arise with female and juvenile Northern Pintails, Anas acuta, which share a similar body shape and size but can be differentiated by their longer necks and distinctive tail feathers.

Conservation Perspective

From a conservation perspective the American Widgeon is currently considered to be of  Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. The species benefits from a wide range and adaptable habitat preferences. However, the American Wigeon still faces threats from habitat loss and degradation due to wetland drainage, pollution, and climate change.