Drake Wigeon
The Wigeon is the other most common of the wildfowling quarry ducks but its numbers do not give it this distinction until the influx of migrant birds from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and other far northern areas, although small numbers are resident all year round in northern parts of Britain. The main body of migrants usually arrives on the Humber from mid to late October and bird counts have shown their numbers as around 2,000 to 3,000. Wildfowling wouldn't be the same without the haunting whistle of the wigeon, the call of the drake Wigeon is the one which most wildfowlers love to hear and once heard is usually never forgotten, the whistle carries over great distances and has a "wheeoo" type of sound when loosely described in syllables.
The drake is a strikingly handsome bird with a bright sulphur yellow band on the top of a light chestnut brown head and neck. The back appears silver-grey but on a closer look is fine black lines on a white background. Two large white wing flashes extending to the front part of the wings are unique to this duck and the wing bars on the trailing edge are green. The chest is a pinky - brown colour while the under body is white finishing in a black rump. The female again is brown and lacks the sulphur yellow band the green wing bar is present as is the white under body, its call is an unusual growling quack. The legs of both are smokey grey, as are the bills which are short and stubby and have a black tip.
The Wigeon is mainly a grazing bird feeding on seaweeds, eel-grass (Zostera) and salting grasses although it can be seen feeding on rape and winter cereal crops growing close to its chosen over wintering area.