Mareca penelope
Silhouette: Lauren McLean · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The Eurasian wigeon or European wigeon (Mareca penelope), also known as the widgeon or wigeon, is one of three extant species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Mareca. It is common and widespread within its Palearctic range.
The Eurasian wigeon was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae under the binomial name Anas penelope. Anas is the Latin word for "duck", and penelope refers to a duck said to have saved Penelope when she was thrown into the sea. Her name derives from Ancient Greek πήνη pene, "braid" and ὤψ ops "appearance", from the ruse she used to deter suitors while her husband Ulysses was away. Following a study in 2009, 5 species of Wigeon were transferred to the resurrected genus Mareca, so the current binomial name is now Mareca penelope.
This dabbling duck is 42–52 cm (17–20 in) long with a 71–80 cm (28–31 in) wingspan, and a weight of 500–1,073 g (1–2 lb). The breeding male has grey flanks and back, with a black rear end, a dark green speculum and a brilliant white patch on upper wings, visible in flight or at rest. It has a pink breast, white belly, and a chestnut head with a creamy crown... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fukuoka | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 2 | Osaka | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 3 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 4 | Hiroshima | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 5 | Nagoya | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 6 | Tokyo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 7 | Quanzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 8 | Tuen Mun | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 9 | Kitakyushu | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 10 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Zoobotánico Jerez | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Parc animalier de Sainte-Croix | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Beijing Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 7 | Cotswold Wildlife Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Slimbridge Wetland Centre | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 9 | Körösvölgyi Állatpark | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 10 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Zoo Opole | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 12 | Centro Cicogne e Anatidi | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 13 | Tierpark Hagenbeck | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 14 | Cologne Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 15 | Inokashira Park Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 16 | L'Oceanogràfic | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 17 | Odesa Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 18 | Kobe Animal Kingdom | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 19 | Cologne Zoo Aquarium | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 20 | Domaine des Oiseaux | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 21 | Margitszigeti Kisállatkert | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 22 | Sea Life London Aquarium | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 23 | Zooparque Itatiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Wigeon sighting in Quanzhou on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 43rd most-seen of the 85 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Wigeon in Quanzhou on a given day, against about 10% in July and September, the lowest months. That is one of Quanzhou's driest months, with about 55 mm of rain against 240 mm in June. June, August and October have too few records to rate.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eurasian Wigeon sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 86
Of the 86 cities where we can rate Eurasian Wigeon sightings, Quanzhou ranks 7th at about 20%. The best odds are in Fukuoka (Japan, about 50%), Osaka (Japan, about 40%) and Helsinki (Finland, about 30%).
Same family: Anatidae
The closest relatives of the Eurasian Wigeon that you can see in Quanzhou (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Eastern Spot-billed Duck (about 50%), Eurasian Teal (about 40%) and Northern Shoveler (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eurasian Wigeon is recorded against all the birds logged in Quanzhou (20 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
