- Lifespan
- 8–10 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 45–51 cm, wingspan 75–86 cm; 540–900 g
- Habitat
- Shallow freshwater lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and coastal waters with adjacent grassland for grazing.
- UK Distribution
- Winter visitor and passage migrant across the UK, arriving September–October and departing March–April. Small numbers breed in Scotland. Most abundant in southern and central England.
- Diet
- Primarily herbivorous, grazing on grasses, clover, and aquatic vegetation; also dabbles for seeds and plant material in water.
- Predators
- Foxes, stoats, and weasels (chicks and eggs); birds of prey including hen harriers, peregrines, and white-tailed eagles.
- Mating Season
- April to June
- Breeding
- Clutch of 7–10 eggs, incubation period 22–24 days, typically one brood per season. Ducklings fledge at 6–7 weeks.
- Behaviour
- Highly social ducks, forming large flocks in winter, particularly on favoured reservoirs. Males are vocal, producing distinctive whistling calls. Wigeon often graze on land more than other dabbling ducks, sometimes in mixed flocks with other duck species.