Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
GenusMareca (Wigeons and Allies)
SpeciesMareca penelope (Eurasian Wigeon)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Plitvice Lakes National Park

5 Verified sightings at Plitvice Lakes National Park From 2019 to 2026

14,448 Verified sightings across all 48 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Eurasian Wigeon

The Eurasian wigeon or European wigeon (Mareca penelope), also known as the widgeon or wigeon, is one of three extant species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Mareca. It is common and widespread within its Palearctic range.

The Eurasian wigeon was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae under the binomial name Anas penelope. Anas is the Latin word for "duck", and penelope refers to a duck said to have saved Penelope when she was thrown into the sea. Her name derives from Ancient Greek πήνη pene, "braid" and ὤψ ops "appearance", from the ruse she used to deter suitors while her husband Ulysses was away. Following a study in 2009, 5 species of Wigeon were transferred to the resurrected genus Mareca, so the current binomial name is now Mareca penelope.

This dabbling duck is 42–52 cm (17–20 in) long with a 71–80 cm (28–31 in) wingspan, and a weight of 500–1,073 g (1–2 lb). The breeding male has grey flanks and back, with a black rear end, a dark green speculum and a brilliant white patch on upper wings, visible in flight or at rest. It has a pink breast, white belly, and a chestnut head with a creamy crown... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Plitvice Lakes National Park

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Mergus merganser

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Aythya fuligula

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aythya nyroca

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Tadorna tadorna

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Aix galericulata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Anas crecca

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Cygnus olor

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Aythya ferina

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Spatula clypeata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Mergus serrator

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 11 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Vatnajokull National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	~70%
2	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	~40%
3	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~40%
4	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~30%
5	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	~30%
6	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~30%
7	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~30%
8	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~20%
9	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
10	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~10%
11	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~10%
12	Nikko National Park	🇯🇵 Japan	~10%
13	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~10%
14	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
15	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
16	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	<5%
17	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
18	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
19	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
20	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
21	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
22	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
23	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
24	Gauja National Park	🇱🇻 Latvia	<5%
25	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
26	Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park	🇲🇳 Mongolia	<5%
27	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
28	Namdapha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
29	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
30	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
31	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
32	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
33	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
34	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
35	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
36	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
37	Plitvice Lakes National Park	🇭🇷 Croatia	Insufficient data
38	Thingvellir National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	Insufficient data
39	Jiuzhaigou National Park	🇨🇳 China	Insufficient data
40	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
41	Royal Manas National Park	🇧🇹 Bhutan	Insufficient data
42	Triglav National Park	🇸🇮 Slovenia	Insufficient data
43	Kenai Fjords National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
44	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
45	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
46	Cat Tien National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	Insufficient data
47	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
48	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

← Back to Plitvice Lakes National Park

Eurasian Wigeon

About the Eurasian Wigeon

Closest Relatives at Plitvice Lakes National Park

Mallard

Common Merganser

Tufted Duck

Ferruginous Duck

Common Shelduck

Mandarin Duck

Common Teal

Mute Swan

Common Pochard

Northern Shoveler

Red-breasted Merganser

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found