How to identify it
Male: bright rusty head with buff crown stripe and mostly gray body. [1][2]
Female very much like female American Wigeon, may have a browner head. [1][2]
Rare hybrids with American Wigeon show intermediate patterns (American Wigeon can also have buff on the crown). [1][2]
Compared with the american wigeon: Female is very much alike; Eurasian may have a browner head. Hybrids are rare and intermediate. [1][2]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- American wigeon · Mareca americana
Where it lives
Marshes, lakes, bays and fields; in winter often marshy ponds with open ground nearby, flooded fields, shallow coastal estuaries and sheltered bays. American Wigeon presence is the best key to good habitat. [1][2]
How it behaves
Reaches North America from both east and west; Pacific-lowland winterers probably come from eastern Siberia [1][2]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- British Columbia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Canada (federal migratory birds) — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 (SOR/2022-105), Schedule Parts 7-13 (MB, SK, AB, BC, NT, YT, NU)
- Nova Scotia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 3 (Nova Scotia) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Ontario — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 6 (Ontario) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Québec — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 5 (Quebec) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Connecticut — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 CT Migratory Bird Hunting Guide
- Delaware — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits
- Idaho — migratory bird hunting · Idaho Migratory Game Bird 2026-2027 Seasons & Rules
- Maryland — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping (official guide, linked from dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide)
- Montana — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, Mourning Doves & Snipe Regulations
- North Carolina — migratory bird hunting · Proclamation: 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons (NCWRC)
- Rhode Island — migratory bird hunting · Hunting and Trapping Regulations (250-RICR-60-00-9)
- South Carolina — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide
- Virginia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Game Bird Regulations | Virginia DWR
- Washington — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Washington Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations (Jul 1 2026 - Jun 30 2027)
- Wisconsin — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping Seasons PUB-CS-076-2026 (updated 06/08/2026)
- Wyoming — migratory bird hunting · WGFC Ch. 14 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons and Light Goose Conservation Order (dated Apr 22 2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Breeds in Eurasia. In North America winters on the Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to northern Baja California and on the Atlantic-Gulf coast from Labrador and Newfoundland to Florida and southern Texas.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALAudubon Field Guide: Eurasian Wigeon
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe