For several centuries, people have been interested in the wigeon duck. The bird lives in the wild, and, having seen it once in the picture, you can no longer confuse it with another species. Due to the bright color, birds are easily remembered. Hunters, on the other hand, consider it lucky to get this "cherished bird", since tracking down a cautious duck is not an easy task.
Who is she, the “cherished bird”?
Sviyaz belongs to the family of ducks, order Anseriformes. A separate group was identified for them due to the structure of the beak - it is smaller than that of standard ducks. Their species belongs to sociable birds that prefer to gather in flocks of up to 100 individuals. However, they are considered very cautious and vigilant representatives of birds.
The main characteristics of the wigeon:
- Adults grow up to 50 cm.
- The weight of females ranges from 500g to 900g, while that of males ranges from 700g to 1100g
- The size of the wings in full span reaches 55-65 cm.
Even in the photo of the wigeon duck, you can see that it is much larger than many relativesfrom the family and has an interesting color.
Appearance of wigeon
The representatives of the family have many differences from other ducks. The main one is the wide forehead of a bird on a small head. The wigeon's neck is short and thin, and the beak is short and slightly turned up. Despite its large size, the bird has short legs. The wings and tail of the wigeon duck have clear outlines and are pointed at the ends.
The color of males is different from the females of this breed. The latter are all year round in the same brown-gray color with infrequent black patches, and the speculum (feathers in the lower part of the duck wing) is black-gray. The offspring of them acquires the color, like that of the mother, until the chicks grow up.
What does a male wigeon look like? They change color depending on the season. During the mating season, birds acquire a bright image that attracts attention:
- Chestnut throat and bird head with small black spots.
- White lower abdomen.
- Chest has a red tint.
- Green mirror with black trim.
- The back takes on a grayish tint with a pattern.
- Black on the sides.
- The wings show a purple tint on the green.
After the end of the mating season, the male wigeon duck changes color in autumn, but everything also remains bright. The back changes color to brown with a chestnut pattern. The head and neck become brown. However, males remain the maindignity - their pure emerald mirror.
The voice of the wigeon
Ducks of this species are distinguished not only by their bright and unusual color, but also by their voice. It sounds loud and loud, you can hear it, being far from their location. Just like the color, the voice of the males is different. During the mating season, it sounds more loudly, insistently and loudly: “frrrIIruuu”, “ssviiiruuu”.
In autumn, the voice of the wigeon duck changes, the males make quieter and more prolonged sounds, similar to whistling: “svviuu”, “ppiiiuuu”. Their singing sounds like the squeak of a rubber toy.
The female has a completely different set of sounds. Basically, their voice can be described as a calm and muffled quack: “keerrr.”
Their habitat
Wild ducks prefer to settle in the northern regions of Europe and Asia. On the territory of Russia, they fell in love with such places:
- Coastal strip of the Sea of Okhotsk.
- Northern regions of the country (Chukotka, Anadyr).
- Lake Baikal region.
- Siberia.
- Primorsky Krai.
For wintering, birds go to the southern regions of Asia or the eastern regions of Africa, and also prefer the warm coast of the Black and Mediterranean Seas. For wintering, they choose quiet bays, where there are no strong storm winds, or they settle in swamps.
Since the wigeon duck is a vigilant, wary bird, it chooses a safe place to settle. Preference is given to river reservoirs with a muddy bottom, and along the edges with abundant vegetation. Taiga, forest - ideal places forsettlement.
An important factor in choosing a place is the location of the field next to their "home". It is good if cereal plants grow on it and there is a small number of lonely trees and bushes.
Lifestyle
These ducks are classified as special and amazing birds. They are considered one of the most devoted among birds. If the male has found a female for himself, then he will not claim another lady. However, their irresponsibility is absolutely not combined with such devotion. Males of this breed do not participate in the formation of nests for laying eggs (in many birds, this process falls on the shoulders of the head of the family). But females are not distinguished by great scrupulousness in this matter. They prefer to look for a prepared place in which small improvements need to be made. After laying eggs, males leave the nest after 2-4 days.
Wigeon ducks do not like open spaces, they prefer small water bodies and lead a daytime lifestyle there. They are considered lovers of sleep - they manage to do this even during the day on the water with their heads down.
In these wild birds, surprisingly, a large number of qualities are collected, which it is not clear how they get along with each other. But nature created them that way, and this only adds to their special charm and mystery.
Which menu do wigeons prefer
We can safely say that these ducks are vegetarians. A variety of bugs and insects can randomly enter their menu along with vegetation. The wigeon prefers to eat grass neartheir habitats or in the water. Birds often gather on the shore and dig up plant roots.
If there are fields with crops growing on them near their habitat, then they will gladly prefer to walk on them for plant seeds. And also algae growing at the bottom of reservoirs are considered a tasty morsel of these ducks. However, due to their laziness, they do not particularly bother themselves with diving. To obtain algae, the wigeon tries to be close to other waterfowl, which, diving for prey, cling to the desired food from the bottom.
How do they reproduce?
As mentioned earlier, wigeons are devoted birds, which is why they form a pair in the fall, before wintering or during the flight. They come back together to lay eggs.
The couple spends all the time without parting - the males do not leave the chosen one for a minute. Males circle nearby, making a beautiful whistle, with a little fluffy tail. Surrounding males understand that a pair has formed. However, there are times when lonely ducks of their breed claim to be a busy lady, then perhaps there will be a skirmish between them.
The female starts laying eggs in May and early June. Usually the number of eggs does not exceed 10-12 pcs. After that, the duck incubates them for 21–25 days, and the males do not withstand the entire period next to her, after a few days they leave the nest and go to molt. When the chicks hatch, they only need 40–45 days of care. After which they become completely independent.
Sviyazi -amazing representatives of ducks. The combination of such different facets of character in them never ceases to amaze. These are devoted birds and, at the same time, irresponsible, friendly and wary, with an incredible voice and a bright, defiant color. That's what they are - wigeon ducks.
