Wigeon

Description

The Eurasian whistle or wigeon (Anas penelope,formerly Mareca penelope) is a common and widespread duck.This surface duck is 42-50 cm long and has a wingspan of 71-80 cm.The nesting male has gray hips and back,with a black rear end,a metallic green wing mirror and a showy white spot on the wing,visible both in flight and at rest.He has a pink chest,a white belly and a brown head with a yellowish stripe on the top of his head.In the non-breeding plumage (eclipsed),the male is very similar to the female but is distinguished by the white spot of the wing.The female is uniformly brown reddish and with a white belly.Very similar to the American widgeon,but the latter has a paler head and white axillary feathers on the underbow.