Winter 2004

The whistling call of the drake American wigeon, (Anas americana), is a familiar sound to waterfowlers throughout Mississippi and particularly along the floodplain of the Mississippi River. The distinct call is composed of three separate “piping” notes, the middle note being higher pitched.

Drake wigeon, or “baldpates” as they are sometimes called, have a distinct white crown accompanied by a green band which extends from the eye to the back of the head. Below the green band, the plumage takes on a buff color which is generally streaked with black. Wigeon have pinkish-brown breasts and sides which are separated from the black undertail coverts by white flanks.

The hen wigeon, as is common with most waterfowl species, is mottled, usually being darker on the upper body and lighter on the lower body. The bills of both the hen and drake wigeon are blue grey with a black nail. The legs and feet of both sexes are also blue grey in color. All wigeon have a white wing patch which is extremely noticeable and is usually a good identification point for wigeons in flight.

Wigeon are dabbling ducks or what are commonly referred to as puddle ducks. They frequent shallow waters rather then deep lakes or bays. Lowland areas covered with a foot or two of water provide prime habitat for wigeons. Sloughs, shallow impoundments and agricultural fields are among the many sites frequented by wigeons in Mississippi.

Like other dabbling ducks, wigeons feed by tipping rather then diving. Wigeons feed on a variety of foods including natural foods such as wild millets, smartweed, a variety of grasses and other plants and also waste grains such as rice, corn, soybeans and sorghum. Wigeons also feed on aquatic invertebrates.

American wigeon are widely distributed and are common in all four flyways in North America. Wintering takes place from the New England states and British Columbia to as far south as Central America and the West Indies.

Wigeon breeding grounds consist of the entire prairie pothole region, with higher densities which travel farther north then any dabbling species except for the pintail. Wigeon begin establishing pair bonds in November and by March about eighty percent of the hens are generally paired. The remaining populations wait until reaching more northern areas before pairing.

As large flocks arrive at the larger water areas of the breeding grounds, they begin to break up as pairs and disperse to potholes and other small water areas. Within a few days of selecting a nest site, the hen forms a nest bowl or scrape in old plant litter or moist earth, usually within fifty yards of water.

The hen lays one egg a day and adds down to the nest until the clutch is complete. Wigeon lay an average of eight to nine eggs per clutch. Incubation lasts around twenty six to thirty days.

Nest failure can be a significant problem and predation is the largest contributor to nesting failure. Skunks, raccoons, red fox, crows and magpies are all principle destroyers of wigeon nests.