Anas penelope - Eurasian Wigeon
Feather characters. Barbules are from short until medium length (0.5-1.6 mm) and contain lightly stippled pigment. Triangular nodes are located on distal end, covering less than 30% of the total barbule length. On proximal end, nodal structures are visible but undeveloped and hardly swollen, and thus too small to qualify as nodes (16-18 per mm). An abrupt increase in size of nodes is seen distally along the barbules. In a very few cases triangular nodes may not be present. Villi are absent and internodes are occasionally kinked. Prongs are mostly located on distal end of barbules, on both sides of the pennulum. Their length varies but the longest prongs may reach a length between half and the entire length of the adjacent internode.
Field characters. Size 45-51 cm. Weight: male 819 g (610-1073), female 724 g (552-962) (Dunning, 1993). Male with chestnut-red head and yellow-buff forehead and crown, vermiculated grey back and flanks, pink-brown breast, and black under-tail; square-cut patch on underside pure white. Large white area on forewing conspicuous in flight; speculum dark green and broadly bordered with black. Female differs from female Mallard in smaller size, smaller grey bill, more rounded head, pointed tail, and more rufous plumage. Speculum dusky or blackish with green gloss and enclosed between white wing-bars. Underparts white. In flight shows characteristic white forewing and belly, and pointed tail. Juvenile strongly resembles female but with slightly darker upperparts and less contrast in marking. Male in eclipse like female but with upperparts and crown darker, flanks richer rufous, and forewing white. Bill blue-grey with black tip; legs greyish or yellow-brown.
Voice. Male produces a distinctive, musical, far-carrying whistling note: 'weeuw'. Female has purring or grating growl.
Distribution. Common breeding bird in northern Europe and a common winter visitor in North sea countries. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. In breeding season, prefers shallow, open freshwaters in lowland or open woodland, or wooded tundra. In winter largely maritime, frequenting muddy coasts and estuaries; a good many winter on lakes, flooded grassland, and reservoirs inland and fly regularly to nearby grasslands to feed.
Food. Generally feeds in groups on land by grazing or on the water by picking up food items from the surface. Diet mainly vegetarian, consisting of leaves, stems, stolons, rhizomes, and some seeds.