Drake Eurasian Wigeon in Alternate Plumage

Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope

I had to ask for help with identification of this duck I saw at the 56th Street Stormwater Facility recently. It was clearly a wigeon. In our area we commonly see American Wigeon, and occasionally see Eurasian Wigeon. The drakes are not difficult to see apart, as the Eurasian Wigeon has a reddish head, a blond streak on to top of the head, and mostly gray sides ad back. The American Wigeon has a grayish head with a green eye-stripe, and is largely reddish overall.

Ducks have a molt strategy that is different from most other birds. Most birds that have an alternate plumage acquire their alternate plumage before breeding, and are most colorful then. Dabbling ducks tend to instead molt into their alternate plumage after breeding, and instead of a brighter alternate plumage that seems to be used to attract a mate and defend their territory, have a drab alternate plumage that seems to function to facilitate hiding out while they raise their young and finish their flight feather molt.

This Eurasian Wigeon male (drake) is in its alternate plumage, and is reddish all over, without the crisp flashy plumage it carries most of the year.

It is a plumage not often seen in our area. In fact I'd never seen this species in this molt before.

Learning new birding facts and details is always exciting for me.

Good birding. Steem on!