[Tweeters] Green Lake Wigeons

[Steve Hampton via Tweeters]

Note that male Eurasian Wigeons often show some green around the eye. I
think this information has been slow in percolating to North American
birders, but Brits are familiar with it. The rest of the head will still be
copper (with the buttery forehead), the breast will be brown, but the body
and flanks will be silver (not an American feature), with a strong
demarcation between the brown breast and silver flanks.
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/292992921

A hybrid adult male should show extensive green by the eye, AND also dark
flecking on the face and a blend of silver and brown on the breast, flanks,
and body, with little demarcation.
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/646270453

This bird, for example, is labeled a hybrid, but seems to be a pure
Eurasian. The body shows no signs of hybridism.
https://birdseye.photo/photos/review/202/eurasian_x_american_wigeon_hybrid/

Note that Eur Wigeon in eclipse (in early fall) has a streaky face and
patchy silver and brown on the body -
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/247419881
<https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/247419881>
We had a bird like this in Port Townsend last fall that moled into a
perfect Eurasian.



On Tue, Dec 9, 2025 at 12:21 AM Hans-Joachim Feddern via Tweeters <
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:


> I scan our American Wigeon flock here at Lake Lorene in Twin Lakes,

> Federal Way daily for a Eurasian with a red head. The body on male Eurasian

> Wigeons is gray, but that is not always easy to pick out, especially when

> they are feeding on the lawn. Currently we have a hybrid which is mainly

> Eurasian but still has green on the red head.

>

> Good Birding !

>

> Hans

>

> On Mon, Dec 8, 2025 at 2:34 AM Carolyn Heberlein via Tweeters <

> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>

>> There are a lot of wigeons at Green Lake. Because of their Buffy

>> foreheads, I thought they were mostly Eurasians.

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>

> --

> *Hans Feddern*

> Twin Lakes/Federal Way, WA

> thefedderns at gmail.com

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-- 
​Steve Hampton​
Port Townsend, WA  (qatáy)
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