Chiloe Wigeon
Encyclopedia
Wigeon
The Eurasian Wigeon, also known as Widgeon or Eurasian Widgeon is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. It is common and widespread within its range...
in the dabbling duck genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Anas. Unlike other wigeons, the sexes are similar (though the male is often slightly brighter) and pairs are monogamous. This bird has a metallic green head, and a gray bill with a black tip. Its breast is barred black and white and its sides are orange brown. It has white cheeks and a white forehead and also white on its wings. Its length is approximately 50 cm.
The female lays between 6 and 10 eggs. This duck is unusual in the sense that the male helps to raise the young.
This duck is found in southern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, on freshwater lakes, marshes, lagoons and slow flowing rivers. It breeds on the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It migrates to southeastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
for the winters. It is an omnivore.
The conservation status of this wigeon is Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
.
Appearance
The Chiloe Wigeon has a body length of 43–54 cm and a wingspan of 75–86 cm. The wing length is about 25 cm and the weight approximately 800 g. Males are usually somewhat larger and heavier. Otherwise sexual dimorphismSexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
is relatively subtle.
The Chiloe Wigeon has a black neck and back of the head. The forehead and the front face are white. The black sides of the head gleam greenish, somewhat more strongly pronounced with males. The flanks of males are rust red colored, and light-brown on females. The back plumage is gray with white pulled through. The chest is white with a black transverse waving. Due to the variability in width of the plumage coloring, however, no clear sexing can be made on the basis of the plumage.
The bill is bluish gray with a black bill point. The legs and feet are gray and the eyes are dark-brown. Young birds resemble adult birds, but the red-brown coloring on the flanks is either completely missing or is smaller than the adults.
Range
The Chiloe Wigeon is resident to South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The northern border of the breeding range is in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
at 36° S and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
at 40° S. It also breeds sparingly in the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
. Stray members may also occasionally reach South Georgia
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
, South Orkney
South Orkney Islands
The South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. They have a total area of about ....
and South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
.
The Chiloe Wigeon displays a variety of behaviors depending on habitat. Prototypical ducks find themselves flying from the southernmost point of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
to as far north as Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
during winter.
The IUCN estimates the present population to be around 500,000 adult individuals and determines their numbers are stable in the very large occupancy zone.
Life
The Chiloe Wigeon lives in river valleys, in small artificial lakes and in shallow lagoons of the Pampas. It lives predominantly on vegetables. It also eats aquatic plants and grass, and occasionally coastal algae.The Chiloe Wigeon breeds between September and December, in the southern hemisphere spring. Pairs always inhabit very small breeding territories and put their nests in grasses and under bushes. The female lays eight to ten white or light-creme eggs. After a gestation period of approximately 24 to 25 days the ducklings are born. The father helps raise the ducklings, however, he leaves the family once they molt and grow new feathers.
The Chiloe Wigeon was first domesticated in 1870 and 1871 and sent from South America to Europe; it soon bred in zoos. Today it is very widespread due to the attractive plumage coloring.
Further reading
- Hartmut Kolbe; The Ducks of the World, Ulmer Verlag 1999, ISBN 3-8001-7442-1
- Hadoram Shirihai: A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife - The Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and Southern Ocean, Alula Press, Degerby 2002, ISBN 951-98947-0-5
- Robin and Anne Woods: Atlas of Breeding Birds of the Falkland Islands, Anthony Nelson, Shorpshire 1997, ISBN 0904614-60-3
External links
- Anas sibilatrix videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection