Overview
The Eurasian wigeon was described by Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Anas penelope. Anas is the Latin for duck, and penelope refers to a duck which was supposed to have rescued Penelope when she was thrown into the sea. Her name derives from Ancient Greekπήνη pene, braid and ὤψ ops appearance, from the ruse she used to deter suitors while her husband Ulysseswas absent.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Anas
- Species
- penelope
Habitat
The Eurasian wigeon is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with some taller vegetation. It nests on the ground, near water and under cover.
Diet
Usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing, which it does very readily.
Behavior
They will join with flocks of the American wigeon in the United States, and they also hybridize with them. This is a noisy species. The male has a clear whistle that sounds like: pjiew pjiew, whereas the female has a low growl : rawr.
Hunting
Typically hunted with a 12 ga shotgun. Shot size #2-4 is sufficient. Effectively hunted with decoys and calling. Dogs are used for bird retrieval. Steel shot is required for waterfowl in the United States.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.