American Wigeon
American Wigeon.
Scientific name: Mareca americana
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Mareca
Species: americana
About-
One of the most amazing bird, American Wigeon is also known as Baldpate. They are Natives of North America. They are 45-58 cm in length. They can weigh up to 665-1330 g. Their wingspan is 86.4 cm. Their lifespan is -
For males: 2.3 years and for females: 1.7 years. The oldest wigeon was 21 years old.
They come in the category of least concern but they are decreasing so quickly.
Diet-
They usually feed on insects, mollusks, leaves, fruits, nuts, seeds, stems, arthropods, etc.
Habitat -
They are found in freshwater lakes, wetlands, rivers, flooded fields, bays, and marches. In winter's time, they are found in lacustrine and intertidal areas.
Identification -
They have grey bills with black tips, males have deep green strips on the head while females have brownish-grey heads, white bellies, black rump, and pointed tails. Immature males and females are brown with brownish-grey heads and dark patches around the eye.
Migration -
They usually migrate to winter grounds. In winters they migrate in large groups and even with other birds like ducks, American coots, Mallards, and Gadwalls.
Nesting and Mating-
They have monogamous pairs. Males reach their sexual maturity at 1 year of age, and females also attain their maturity at 1 year of age. During courtship, males try to impress females they give a high-pitched whistle. Then the females decide the nest site. The nests are made on the ground near the river with tall grasses and with bushes cover. Females lay 3-12 creamy white color eggs. The incubation goes for 25 days. During incubation, the females stay on the nest for about 90% of the day. Male usually spend their time swimming. Only for 2 weeks of incubation, males remain with the females. Young ones leave the nest in just 24 hours of hatching. After 37-48 days of hatching, the young one starts flying.
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