Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope), Arrowhead Ranch lakes, Glendale, Maricopa County

This male Eurasian Wigeon was discovered and photographed by Steve Hosmer during the Greater Phoenix Area Waterbird Census on 19 January 2013.

Eurasian Wigeon has become something of a "Scottsdale Specialty." The urban ponds in that city attract a few Eurasian Wigeon among large flocks of American Wigeon every winter. Away from Scottsdale Eurasian Wigeon is a casual winter visitor to the rest of the state.

Hybrids between Eurasian and American Wigeon are frequent in Arizona and must be carefully separated from pure Eurasians. Uniformly bright rusty-orange head with no green and no black border on bill indicate European Wigeon. Patchy brown on sides and back may be due to this bird undergoing a molt into breeding plumage.

19 January 2013, photo by Steve Hosmer

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