American Wigeon

Mareca americana (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

42–59 cmLength76–91 cmWingspan755 gWeight

In the breeding season, the male has a creamy-white crown and green around the eye, the white crown giving it the nickname “bald-headed duck”.

Busiest months: January, March and October–November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Looks like Eurasian Wigeon

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Male in the breeding season has green feathers around the eye and a cream-colored crown
Male shows a large white scapular patch on the wing in flight
Bill pale blue with a black tip; belly white, legs and feet gray
Head round, neck short, bill small

Male, female and young

Female inconspicuous, mainly gray and rufous; male’s plumage resembles female’s more closely during the molt in the non-breeding season.

Voice

Male gives a three-note whistle, a harsh “whoee-whoe-whoe”; female gives a low “qua-ack”.

Similar species

Eurasian Wigeon

Very similar in size and shape; Eurasian Wigeon has a darker head and an entirely gray underwing, and the females also differ in head and neck color.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January, March and October–November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

American Wigeon has been recorded at 1,142 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 61 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Sweetwater WetlandsUnited States17,983 records
Reifel Bird SanctuaryCanada15,437 records
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWRUnited States13,830 records

More places

Union Bay Natural Area/Montlake FillUnited States13,568 records
Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water RanchUnited States11,418 records
Cape Island – Cape May Point SPUnited States11,160 records
Tommy Thompson ParkCanada9,129 records
Willcox – Lake Cochise and Twin Lakes Golf CourseUnited States9,014 records
Reid ParkUnited States8,562 records
Arcata Marsh and Wildlife SanctuaryUnited States7,769 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Mexico Bermuda Portugal United Kingdom Puerto Rico Honduras

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The American wigeon (Mareca americana), also known as the baldpate, is a species of dabbling duck found in North America. Formerly assigned to Anas, this species is classified with the other wigeons in the dabbling duck genus Mareca. It is the New World counterpart of the Eurasian wigeon.

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