The Wigeon 

 THE WIGEON 



Mareca penelope (Linnseus) 



The Wigeon is one of our commonest winter visitors, 

 arriving in large numbers from early in September onwards, 



' and frequenting estuaries, bays, and tidal waters, but rarely 

 wandering far inland. Although feeding also on marine 



-insects and Crustacea, it is chiefly a vegetable eater, living 

 almost entirely upon Zostera marina. 



In Scotland a good many pairs remain to breed, and 

 during the summer it frequents high moorlands and inland 

 waters. The nest is placed in a tuft of rushes or among 



.heather, and the eggs, usually ten in number, are of a 

 delicate creamy white. The note is a melodious whistle, 

 which may be expressed as " whee you." 



The male has the head and neck chestnut, with a broad 

 buff stripe extending backwards over the crown ; back grey 

 uniformly vermiculated ; throat and upper neck chestnut j 

 breast white, vermiculated on the flanks ; shoulders white ; 

 speculum green. In the eclipse plumage the head is dark 



- chestnut, grizzled with brown ; back brown, with chestnut 

 edgings to the feathers ; flanks chestnut ; under parts white. 

 The female is dark brownish grey above, lighter on the 

 wing coverts, and white underneath. Length 18"5 in. j 

 wing 10'5 in. 



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