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Location: San Diego River Flood Control Channel, San Diego, CA
Date: 2003-03-09
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6
Date: 2003-03-09
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6
Eurasian wigeon
Anas penelope
DescriptionBe sure to look for this bird when observing a flock of its counterpart, the American Wigeon, as they often mingle. Like its counterpart, this wigeon has unusual feeding habits; it will graze on land like a goose or steal food from a diving duck as it returns to the surface. It feeds on a variety of grasses and algae.
General: 18-20 inches in length.
Male: Rusty-brown head and green speculum. Buff crown. Gray body. Rusty-buff or pinkish-buff breast. White patch at rear of flanks. Black undertail coverts. Pale blue bill with black tip. Large white shoulder patch.
Female: Mottled gray-brown or rusty-brown body. Paler head and neck. Dusky eye patch and green speculum. Pale blue bill with black tip. Large white shoulder patch.
Juvenile: Similar to adult female.
Marshes, ponds, lakes, and tidal flats (during non-breeding).
Nesting7-8 cream-white eggs. They have a 24 day incubation period. Fledging occurs 40-45 days after hatching. The nest is made from grass and lined with down. It is built on the ground and usually hidden in vegetation some distance from the water.
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