American Wigeon
Anas americana
These photographs of American Wigeon were taken at the Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline in Richmond, CA. The photo on the left is of a male American Wigeon taken on January 27, 2015. The one on the right is of a group of American Wigeons resting on the shore taken on February 14, 2014. The males during the breeding season (about October-June) have tri-colored heads: a thick white stripe that goes from the base of the beak across the top of their heads, a large greenish area that covers the eyes through the back of the neck (not always prominent), and a gray region below the green. The male bodies are mostly brownish with a distinctive white hip patch. The females have similar colored bodies, with gray head and no white hip patch. (Click on images to see enlarged versions.)