Waterfowl ID: The American Wigeon

The cotton-top is one of the funnest ducks in the country to hunt; here’s a guide on how to identify, find, and call the American wigeon.

By Nate Corley – Wildfowl Magazine

What Is a Wigeon Duck?

Non-hunters ask this question a lot. Flocks of American Wigeon congregate each January on the rolling lawns of the city park where I take my lunch break. And routinely, I’ll overhear stroller-pushing moms and power-suited businessmen gasp, gape, and fumble for their phones as a flight of sixty cottontops buzzes the rhododendrons to splash down in the fountain. “What ARE those?” they’ll ask. They’re wigeon, my friends. And they’re wonderful.

How Do You Identify a Wigeon Duck?

Your ears may tip you off before your eyes. Wigeon are vocal birds, and the trademark “who-HEE-whoo” whistle is often the first indicator Mr. Widge has dropped in for a visit. When it comes to appearance, drakes are easy to pick out from a crowd. The white puff on the crown (hence the nickname “cottontop”) and iridescent green eyemask contrast with the hen’s subdued plumage, but both drakes and hens sport a warmer, almost blush-colored hue from the neck down come breeding season. In terms of size, wigeon are the classic “extra-medium”: bigger than a teal, smaller than a mallard – just right for the grill. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL STORY