Eurasian wigeon

What is it: the Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope) is a medium-sized duck, smaller than a mallard but bigger than a teal, usually around 45cm to 50cm long with a wingspan of 75cm to 86cm. Males in breeding colours have a pinkish breast, grey body and a striking golden-brown head with a yellow forehead stripe. Females are more mottled brown but still beautifully patterned for camouflage.

Population: a small number of resident wigeon stay in Britain all year but huge packs of migratory wigeon arrive each autumn from colder regions such as Iceland, Scandinavia and northern Russia. When winter arrives, the UK’s wigeon population can grow to an incredible 500,000 to 600,000 birds, making them one of the most common winter ducks in the country.

How to find: wigeon love open, wet places such as lakes and reservoirs, coastal marshes, flooded fields and estuaries. They like areas with shallow water and grassy edges, where food is plentiful and predators are easy to spot.

Breeding: while most wigeon do not breed in the UK, some pairs in Scotland and northern England are beginning to nest more regularly. Nesting starts in late spring and the female lays eight to nine cream-coloured eggs hidden in grass near water. She incubates the eggs while the male stays nearby to guard the territory.

DID YOU KNOW? Wigeon have a short bill that’s perfect for nibbling grass (see below) – and they are one of the few ducks that spend lots of time grazing like geese!

WEE-OOO If birds had theme songs, the wigeons would be a distinctive whistling “wee-ooo” call. This sound is usually made by males and can be heard from quite far away, especially when big flocks of wigeon gather at feeding spots!