American Wigeon

American Wigeon (Anas Americana) are known as Baldpates because the bright creamy-white stripe adorning the forehead and crown center of drakes creates the illusion of a balding pate from a distance. They fly swiftly and travel in small, compact, irregularly shaped flocks, generally at no great height, even during migration. American Wigeon (Anas Americana) habitually graze ashore, often on golf course in winter. Their diet consists of vegetation even though few snails, beetles and crickets are preyed on as well. They have a taste for lettuce and spinach and sometimes cause local crop damage; and are very fond of the wild celery that grows in deeper water. Also known as Smoking Ducks, American Wigeon (Anas Americana) are slightly larger than their Old World counterpart. The ducks are regular in British visitors especially in Ireland, and small numbers winter in northeastern Siberia, Japan and Hawaii. During the winter American Wigeon (Anas Americana) shift to warm, temperate, subtropical and even tropical regions, mostly along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the West Indies and Bermuda, but also inland as far south as northern Columbia and Venezuela. They tend to stay in big groups before migrating by lagoons and then fly together with other ducks. Migration is hard and every year many of them could die because of strength, stress and predators such us eagles. Breeding is initiated in April and May. Nesting pairs are probably most abundant in inland low-Arctic western Canada, where they nest in wetlands surrounded by good grazing grounds, frequently in lightly wooded country. Nests are located on islands or adjacent to potholes that may be near farm dwellings. Females take care themselves of broods and teach them how to feed after 12 or 14 hours of their birth. Broods stay with their parents until Spring. Pairs stay together forever.