Wigeon

Wigeon are dabbling ducks in the genus Anas. There are three species: the Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope), the American Wigeon (A. americana) and the Chilöe Wigeon (A. sibilatrix). Widgeon is an alternative, though archaic, spelling; the American Wigeon has in the past been known as Baldpate.

Morphology

All three are similarly-shaped, with a steep forehead and bulbous rear to the head. Males have a distinctive breeding plumage, in their eclipse plumage they resemble females, which are similar in appearance year-round.

Taxonomy

Hybridisation

All three wigeon species hybridise in captivity,^[1] and American and Eurasian Wigeons hybridise in the wild.^[2] An American Wigeon × Mallard hybrid has also been recorded ^[3]

Footnotes

References

Hybridisation

Bailey, H. H. (1919) An interesting hybrid of Mareca penelope (Widgon) and Mareca americana (Baldpate) Wilson Bulletin 31:25
Harrison, J. M. and J. G. Harrison (1968) Wigeon × Chiloe Wigeon hybrid resembling American Wigeon British Birds 61: 169-171
Watson, G. E. (1970) A presumed wild hybrid Baldpate × Eurasian Wigeon The Auk 87: 353-7
Shiota, T. (1987) [A challenge in the identificaiton of hybrid American and Eurasian Wigeon] Yacho 496:6, 18-19
Carey, Geoff J. (1993) Hybrid male wigeon in East Asia Hong Kong Bird Report 1992 160-6
Fedynich, Alan M. & Olin E. Rhodes, Jr. (1993) Mallard × American Wigeon Hybrid on the Southern High Plains of Texas The Southwestern Naturalist, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Jun., 1993), pp. 179-181, doi:10.2307/3672079 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0038-4909(199306)38%3A2%3C179%3AMXAWHO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-N
Harrop, Andrew (1994) Photo-forum: a presumed hybrid American Wigeon in Grampian Birding World 7:116-7
MacKay, Andrew (1996) Hybrid wigeon resembling American Wigeon in Leicestershire Birding World 9:146-7
Jiguet, Frédéric (1999) Photo-forum: hybrid American Wigeons Birding World 12(6):247-52

Wigeon

Contents

Morphology

Taxonomy

Hybridisation

Footnotes

References

Hybridisation

External links