Mareca sibilatrix
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chiloé Wigeon sighting in Nahuel Huapi National Park on a given day, based on 142 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 44th most-seen of the 111 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Chiloé Wigeon in Nahuel Huapi National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March and July–September, the lowest months.
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.
2nd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Chiloé Wigeon sightings, Nahuel Huapi National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Torres del Paine National Park (Chile, about 30%).
Same family: Anatidae
The closest relatives of the Chiloé Wigeon that you can see in Nahuel Huapi National Park (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Ashy-headed Goose (about 40%), Yellow-billed Pintail (about 30%) and Flying Steamer-Duck (about 30%), 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 Nahuel Huapi National Park (142 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
