Scientific Classification
- Common Name
- Chiloe wigeon, Chilean wigeon, southern wigeon
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus Species
- Mareca sibilatrix (whistling)
Fast Facts
- Description
- Chiloe wigeons are small ducks. Males have white wing patches, white cheeks and forehead and a metallic green head. The breast is barred white and black and sides are orange-brown. The back is dark gray with white streaks. These ducks have gray bills with black tips. The legs and feet are dark gray.
Females are slightly duller than males, with a gray wing patch.
- Size
- 42.5 to 47.5 cm (17 to 19 in.) long
- Weight
- Approximately 0.9 kg (2 lbs.)
- Diet
- Includes water plants, plankton, crustaceans, and tadpoles
- Incubation
- 25 to 26 days
- Clutch Size
- 6 to 11 eggs
- Fledging Duration
- 6 weeks
- Sexual Maturity
- Approximately 2 years
- Life Span
- Averages 20 to 30 years
- Range
- The chiloe wigeon has an extremely large range and can be found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile; Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands
- Habitat
- Inhabits fresh-water lakes, marshes and rivers
- Population
- Global: the population is very large with at least 10,000 mature individuals.
- Status
- IUCN: Least concern
CITES: Not listed
USFWS: Not listed
Fun Facts
- When communicating, both sexes lift their chin and call to each other with a whistle.
- Chiloe widgeons have strong pair bonds and – unlike other widgeons – males often take part in rearing the young; however, the female alone incubates the eggs.
- Chiloe widgeons join the very small number of waterfowl species that have managed to cross the hostile South Atlantic (Drake Passage) separating the tip of South America from Antarctica.
Ecology and Conservation
Chiloe wigeons have a stable population and are fairly common throughout their range. Their populations are not severely fragmented.
Bibliography
Austin, G. Birds of the World. New York. Golden Press, Inc., 1961.
Gotch, A.F. Birds - Their Latin Names Explained. UK. Blandford Books Ltd., 1981.
Scott, P. A Coloured Key of the Wildfowl of the World. Slimbridge, England. The Wildfowl Trust. 1988.
Todd, F.S. Natural History of Waterfowl. San Diego, Ca. Ibis Publishing Co., 1996.
BirdLife International. 2016. Mareca sibilatrix. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22680167A92847550. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680167A92847550.en. Downloaded on 07 November 2018
