The American Wigeon (Mareca americana) is a common duck species found throughout North America. This medium-sized dabbling duck breeds in wetland areas across much of Canada and the United States, and winters in coastal areas in the southern U.S., Mexico, and Central America. Identifying where American Wigeons can be found depends on the time of year. Their breeding, migration, and wintering patterns mean they inhabit different parts of the continent seasonally. Knowing the habitat and range of American Wigeons will help birders locate them more easily.
American Wigeon Identification
American Wigeons are visually distinctive ducks that are relatively easy to identify. The males have a white crown, green eye patch, gray flanks, black under the tail, and a pinkish breast. Their most noticeable feature is the white forewing patch that is visible in flight and when the wings are folded. Females are mottled brown overall with a pale blue bill and lack the male’s ornate plumage. Both sexes have a high-pitched whistling call. American Wigeons are similar in size to a Northern Pintail. They have a blue bill with black markings towards the tip in females and a balder head shape compared to most dabbling ducks. Being familiar with the field marks of American Wigeons will help locate them among flocks of waterfowl.
American Wigeon Habitat
American Wigeons inhabit shallow wetlands across much of their range. They prefer areas with an ample supply of their preferred foods. During the breeding season, they are found on ponds, marshes, and lakes with abundant aquatic vegetation and grasses. On migration and in winter, they utilize estuaries, lakes, flooded fields, and agricultural wetlands where protein-rich foods like pondweeds, grasses, and agricultural waste grains are available. American Wigeons are somewhat adaptable in their habitat needs, but breeding sites must provide nesting sites and sufficient food resources. Outside of the breeding season, any open water habitat with adequate food sources may attract American Wigeons.
American Wigeon Breeding Range
American Wigeons breed across much of Canada and the northern United States. They nest in areas providing the right mix of wetland habitats, nesting sites, and preferred foods. Their breeding range extends:
Canada
Across much of the Canadian provinces from British Columbia east to Quebec. Their range centers around the Prairie Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Alaska
Throughout mainland Alaska except for the far northern Arctic region. Also breeds on the Aleutian Islands.
Continental United States
Throughout the northern U.S. from Washington east to Maine. The breeding range extends as far south as Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and rarely Ohio.
State | Breeding Range |
---|---|
California | Statewide except for the southeastern deserts |
Oregon | Statewide |
Washington | Statewide |
Idaho | Statewide |
Nevada | Northern and central regions |
Utah | Northern and central regions |
Montana | Statewide |
Wyoming | Statewide |
Colorado | Statewide except the far eastern plains |
North Dakota | Statewide |
South Dakota | Statewide |
Nebraska | Central and northern regions |
Minnesota | Statewide |
Iowa | Statewide |
Missouri | Northwestern region |
Wisconsin | Statewide |
Illinois | Northern two-thirds of state |
Indiana | Northern third of state |
Michigan | Statewide |
Ohio | Very limited – northwest only |
West Virginia | None |
Western New York | Limited |
Vermont | Limited |
New Hampshire | Very limited |
Maine | Scattered locations statewide |
Key areas for finding breeding American Wigeons include the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains and interior wetlands of the Pacific Northwest. They occur locally at suitable sites across their continental breeding range.
American Wigeon Migration
American Wigeons are migratory and make seasonal movements between their breeding and wintering grounds. Their spring migration north begins in February and March. Fall migration to winter areas takes place between September and December. Key facts about American Wigeon migration include:
Spring Migration
– Starts as early as late February in the southern U.S.
– Peaks in March and April across the central regions.
– Extends into May in the far northern breeding areas.
– Follows the retreating ice, waterfowl quickly move north when wetlands become open.
– Primary migration corridors are the Pacific Flyway along the West Coast and Central Flyway between the Rocky Mountains and Great Lakes.
Fall Migration
– Starts as early as August and September for adult males moving south.
– Peak period is October and November for most birds heading south.
– Extends into December for birds from the far northern regions.
– Juveniles often lag behind adults in migration timing.
– Migrants concentrate along the coasts and Central Valley of California, Great Salt Lake in Utah, plains of Kansas and Oklahoma, Mississippi River valley, and Texas coast.
Migration Stopover Sites
– Wetland complexes along migration routes attract large numbers of resting and feeding American Wigeons.
– Key sites include Klamath Basin on Oregon-California border, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah, Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area in Kansas, and Sacramento Valley in California.
– Coastal estuaries, large lakes, and reservoirs also provide important stopover habitat.
American Wigeon Winter Range
During winter, American Wigeons vacate their breeding grounds and concentrate along the southern U.S. coasts and south into Mexico. Their winter range extends along:
Pacific Coast
– Coastal Washington, Oregon, and California.
– Interior valleys of California, portions of Nevada, Idaho, and Utah.
Gulf Coast and Southern Atlantic Coast
– Coastal areas from Texas to Florida.
– Most abundant along the Laguna Madre of southern Texas.
Interior Regions
– Mississippi River valley wetlands.
– Scattered oases and riparian areas in the Southwest.
Mexico
– Coastal lagoons and wetlands along both coasts.
– Interior lakes, reservoirs, and agricultural wetlands.
State / Region | Key Wintering Areas |
---|---|
Texas | Coastal marshes and rice fields of the mid and upper coast, Laguna Madre |
Louisiana | Coastal marshes and rice fields |
Mississippi | Mississippi Delta wetlands |
Alabama | Tennessee Valley reservoirs and wetlands |
Georgia | Coastal marshes, inland reservoirs |
Florida | Central and southern coastal wetlands |
California | Central Valley, Salton Sea, coastal wetlands |
Arizona | Colorado River wetlands, agricultural areas |
New Mexico | Rio Grande Valley |
Mexico | Coastal lagoons of Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Veracruz, Tabasco, and Yucatan |
Locating wintering American Wigeons requires searching out wetland habitats across the southern U.S. and Mexico, particularly coastal sites and agricultural wetlands. Their distribution shifts based on temperatures and food availability.
Best Places to See American Wigeons
American Wigeons occur across much of North America seasonally. Some key spots for finding American Wigeons during breeding, migration, and winter include:
Breeding Areas
– Prairie Pothole Region (U.S. and Canada) – highest densities of breeding wigeons in the world.
– Klamath Basin (Oregon/California) – shallow wetlands support thousands of breeding wigeons.
– Red Rock Lakes NWR (Montana) – a primary breeding area.
– Sand Lake NWR (South Dakota) – up to 500,000 acres of prairie wetlands.
– Woodworth WMA (North Dakota) – draws up to 100,000 breeding wigeons.
Migration Stopovers
– Midwinter Waterfowl Survey Areas (California) – surveying provides peak counts in the Central Valley.
– Klamath Basin NWR Complex – huge concentrations build up in fall.
– Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (Utah) – tens of thousands stage in spring.
– Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (Kansas) – major fall staging area.
– Sacramento NWR Complex (California) – manages wetlands for migrating waterfowl.
Wintering Sites
– Laguna Madre (Texas) – up to 500,000 wigeons in peak years.
– Sacramento Valley (California) – 340,000 acres of wetlands support wintering waterfowl.
– Louisiana Chenier Plain – coastal marshes hold 100,000s of wintering wigeons.
– Izembek NWR (Alaska) – supports huge wintering populations, unusual for Alaska.
– Lago de Cuitzeo (Michoacán, Mexico) – up to 40,000 wigeons winter at this high-altitude lake.
Conclusion
American Wigeons are a widespread duck species that occurs across North America seasonally. Their breeding range covers Alaska, Canada, and the northern U.S. They migrate along Pacific and Central flyways to winter along the southern U.S. coasts south into Mexico. American Wigeons frequent shallow wetland habitats like marshes, ponds, and flooded agricultural fields. Key sites for finding American Wigeons include prairie potholes in the Great Plains during summer, migration hotspots like Bear River NWR and Sacramento NWR, and coastal wintering sites along the Gulf Coast and Baja California. Birders should scout out suitable wetland habitats across the range of American Wigeons while keeping an eye out for their distinctive appearance to locate these elegant ducks.