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The American Wigeon, or "Baldpate," is a wary bird, taking flight the instant it is disturbed. Flocks rise straight up from the surface of the water, uttering their whistling calls. They are often seen on
marshy ponds in the company of diving birds such as coots, Redheads, and Canvasbacks. Wigeons wait at the surface while the other birds dive, then snatch the food away when the birds reappear. They also visit grain
fields and meadows to graze like geese on tender shoots. Unlike many dabbling ducks, these birds often spend the night on large open bays, sleeping in rafts well out from shore.
description
18-23" (46-58 cm). Male is brownish with white crown, green ear patch, and bold white shoulder patches easily visible in flight. Female is mottled brown with grayish head and whitish shoulder patches. Bill pale blue in both sexes.
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