Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope
(aka Anas penelope)
Male Wigeon, Caerlaverock, Scotland, February 2001 - click for larger image

The male Eurasian Wigeon has a chestnut brown head and a creamy-yellow forehead and crown as in the first photo while the female in the second photo is a dull brown colour with a bluish bill with black tip.

Female Wigeon, Caerlaverock, Scotland, February 2001 - click for larger image Eurasian Wigeon breed in Scandinavia and northern Russia but winter further south in Europe, Asia and Africa. In Britain some birds are sedentary both breeding and wintering there but many more northern birds also winter there.

Largely vegetarian, wintering Eurasian Wigeon are often to be seen grazing on dry land.

Male Wigeon, Minsmere, Suffolk, England, March 2005 - click for larger image The 3rd and 4th photos show male Eurasian Wigeon in eclipse plumage during the month of September. One of the birds in the 3rd photo looks as though it has started to change to breeding plumage.

There is an illustration in HBW, Volume 1, Page 600.

Eclipse Male Wigeon, Levington Lagoon, Suffolk, England, September 2005 - click for larger image
Eclipse Male Wigeon, Levington Lagoon, Suffolk, England, September 2005 - click for larger image
Previous Page Back to Index Next Page

If you do not see a menu on the left, you may have arrived at this page from another site. Please click Home to get to my main page.
Fatbirder's Top 1000 Birding Websites