 |
| Fact Sheet |
| Scientific Name |
Anas americana |
| Wing spread |
34 inches |
| Body length |
20 inches |
| Weight |
1.8 pounds |
| Description |
Males are small- to medium-sized grayish brown ducks. From late fall through spring,males have a white crown on head, green eye patch and a rectangular white wing patch. Females are a drab brownish gray. Both sexes have glossy green and black wing speculum, an elliptical white belly, and blue bill with black tip. |
| Nesting Habitat |
Nests in upland grasslands and in clumps of buckbrush. |
| Clutch size |
9 eggs |
| Incubation period |
24 days |
| Status in North Dakota |
Wigeon are common during migration, and nests in low densities throughout the state. |
| Food habits |
Feeds in wetlands on stems and leaves of aquatic plants, and occasionally waste grains. |
| Fun Facts |
Another common name for this duck is baldpate. Wigeon often feed near diving ducks, snatching away plants the diving ducks have brought to the surface. |
