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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
American wigeon, baldpate
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| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Anseriformes |
| FAMILY: |
Anatidae
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| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Anas (duck) americana (America) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
American wigeons are medium-sized ducks. They have a white crown with a green post-ocular stripe and gray on their lower face and neck. The breast and flanks are rusty and the back is dark brown. American wigeons also have a white patch on the rear portion of the flanks and black under the tail coverts |
| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| SIZE: |
Reaches lengths of about 35cm (14 in.); wingspan 87cm (34 in.)
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| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| WEIGHT: |
Approximately 1.01 kg (2.25 lb.)
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| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| DIET: |
Seeds, leaves, stems, buds of pondweeds, widgeon grass, sedges, rice, snails, beetles, and crickets
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| INCUBATION: |
9 to 11 eggs are laid which incubate for about 22 to 24 days; 45 to 48 days to fledge
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| CLUTCH
SIZE |
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| FLEDGING
DURATION |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
About 1 year
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| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Averages 9 to 10 years
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| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| RANGE: |
Found in northern and central North America; winters in coastal and southern North America and Central America
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| HABITAT: |
Marshes and ponds
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
| LOCAL |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not listed |
| CITES |
Not listed |
| USFWS |
Not listed |
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| 1. |
Wigeons are known to let other ducks gather food for them then steal it! They also tend to follow other migrating ducks in order to get food! |
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| 2. |
Wigeons are diving ducks, not dabbling ducks, and will completely submerge themselves to chase food. |
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| 3. |
These ducks alert their fellow ducks of danger by alarm quacks and rattling their wings. |
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
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| These birds are a food source for predators and also help maintain plant growth.
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| Austin, G. Birds of The World. New York. Golden Press, Inc., 1961. |
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Gotch, A.F. Birds- Their Latin Names Explained. UK. Blandford Books Ltd., 1981. |
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Johnsgard, P. Ducks, Geese, and Swans of the World. Lincoln. Univ. Of Neb. Press, 1978.
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| Scott, P. A Coloured Key of the Wildfowl of the World. Slimbridge, England. The Wildfowl Trust. 1988. |
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| Todd, F.S. Natural History of Waterfowl. San Diego, Ca. Ibis Publishing Co., 1996. |
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