Mareca sibilatrix
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The Chiloé wigeon (Mareca sibilatrix), also known as the southern wigeon, is one of three extant species of wigeon in the genus Mareca of the dabbling duck subfamily. This bird is indigenous to the southern part of South America, including the Chiloé Archipelago, from which it gets its name.
In its native range, it is called the pato overo ("piebald duck") or pato real ("royal duck"), although the latter name also refers to the Muscovy in the wild. Its specific epithet, sibilatrix, means 'whistler', referring to the bird's call.
The Chiloé wigeon has a body length of 46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 in) and a wingspan of 75 to 86 cm (30 to 34 in). The wing length is about 25 cm (9.8 in) and the weight is approximately 800 g (28 oz). This bird has an iridescent green-blue cap on its head, and a bluish gray bill with a black tip. The cheeks and forehead are white, the eyes are dark brown, and there is a white auricular patch. The neck and occipital part of the head are black. The breast is barred black and white and the plumage of the wings is gray and white. The flanks of males are rust colored, and light brown on females. The legs and feet are gray.
Sexual dimorphism is relatively... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 2 | Nahuel Huapi National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 5 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 2 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Chiloé Wigeon sighting in Santiago on a given day, based on 129 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 56th most-seen of the 110 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chiloé Wigeon in Santiago on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months. That is one of Santiago's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 65 mm in June.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chiloé 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.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Chiloé Wigeon sightings, Santiago has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Buenos Aires (Argentina, under 5%).
Same family: Anatidae
The closest relatives of the Chiloé Wigeon that you can see in Santiago (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Yellow-billed Pintail (about 10%), Speckled Teal (about 10%) and White-cheeked Pintail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chiloé Wigeon is recorded against all the birds logged in Santiago (129 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.
