238 THE SHELDUCK AND SURFACE-FEEDING DUCKS 



WIGEON 

 [W. P. PYCRAFT] 



That the wigeon and the mallard in their choice of habit display 

 much in common is convincingly attested by the fact that the two are 

 so commonly taken together in decoys. Nevertheless they display a 

 marked preference for estuaries, where, if the conditions be favour- 

 able, they swarm during the winter months, the period of their 

 sojourn with us, for the few pairs that remain to breed are a negligible 

 quantity. And this fascination of the sea is felt also, as we have 

 already remarked, by the mallard which come south to us for the 

 winter. Nevertheless, considerable numbers work their way inland 

 in the case of both species ; though, for the most part, they do not 

 travel beyond easy reach of the sea. 



During its sojourn here the favourite and principal food of the 

 wigeon is furnished by Zostera marina. To obtain this they await low 

 water, when, by that peculiar half-diving movement peculiar to the 

 Anatidse, they contrive to pull it up for the sake of its succulent roots. 

 Brent geese feed largely on this weed, and from their larger size and 

 longer necks they are able to obtain all they need in deeper water 

 than the wigeon can forage in. As a consequence, at any rate when 

 hungry, wigeon will play the jackal, and wait on the geese for the 

 sake of the stranded leaves which they reject. Similarly, when fish- 

 ing in fresh water, they will watch the coot reappearing with weeds 

 after his dive, rushing up at the moment the diver comes to the 

 surface to deprive him of his spoils ! In the spring the wigeon is as 

 fond of cropping the grass as a goose, and eats large quantities 

 thereof. But later a change of diet is made, animal food in the shape 

 of aquatic insects of all sorts, small Mollusca, and Crustacea being 

 eagerly sought for. There are times, indeed, when at sea that the 

 favourite Zostera is hard to come by, and then they will greedily eat 

 cockles and other shell-fish, and such other animal food as comes in 



