American Wigeon is a medium-sized dabbling duck (18–20 in long) that is a regular winter visitor and spring–fall migrant in Arizona. Adult males in breeding plumage sport a white crown and green eye-stripe, while females are overall mottled brown with a gray bill tipped in black.
In Arizona, American Wigeons congregate from late October through early April at freshwater marshes, irrigation ponds, reservoirs and flooded fields in the lower deserts and river valleys—especially at Cibola Valley refuges, Whitewater Draw, the Hassayampa River wetlands and Alamo Lake. They feed by dabbling on the water’s surface or grazing emergent vegetation, grasses and spilled grain, and often form mixed flocks with Northern Pintails and Green-winged Teal. Breeding is very rare in the state, limited to small numbers nesting in high-elevation mountain meadows (e.g., the White Mountains). Their clear, whistle-like calls and swift, direct flight make them unmistakable each winter.
