American Wigeon
American WigeonAmerican WigeonAmerican WigeonAmerican Wigeon

American Wigeon

Mareca americana

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Saguaro National Park
12,586 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
27,711 Verified sightings across all 58 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the American Wigeon

The American wigeon (Mareca americana), also known as the baldpate, is a species of dabbling duck found in North America. Formerly assigned to Anas, this species is classified with the other wigeons in the dabbling duck genus Mareca. It is the New World counterpart of the Eurasian wigeon.

The American wigeon was formally described in 1789 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other ducks, geese, and swans in the genus Anas and coined the binomial name Anas americana. Gmelin based his description on Edme-Louis Daubenton's hand-colour plate of "Le Canard Jensen, de la Louisiane" and Thomas Pennant's description of the "American wigeon" in his Arctic Zoology. Pennant had been sent a specimen from New York. The American wigeon is now placed with the Eurasian wigeon and three other dabbling ducks in the genus Mareca that was introduced in 1824 by the English naturalist James Francis Stephens. The name of the genus comes from the Portuguese word Marréco for a small duck. The species is considered to be monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

An alternative common name is... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Gadwall
LC

Gadwall

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca strepera

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Ring-necked Duck
LC

Ring-necked Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya collaris

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Northern Shoveler
LC

Northern Shoveler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula clypeata

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Ruddy Duck
LC

Ruddy Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oxyura jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Cinnamon Teal
LC

Cinnamon Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula cyanoptera

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Common Teal
LC

Common Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas crecca

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Northern Pintail
LC

Northern Pintail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas acuta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Mexican Duck

Mexican Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas diazi

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Blue-winged Teal
LC

Blue-winged Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula discors

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Snow Goose
LC

Snow Goose

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Anser caerulescens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Redhead
LC

Redhead

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya americana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

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 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~40%
2 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
3 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~30%
4 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
5 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
6 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
7 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
8 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
9 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
10 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
~20%
11 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
12 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
13 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
14 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
15 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
16 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
17 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
18 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
19 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
20 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
21 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
22 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
23 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
24 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
25 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
26 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
27 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
28 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
29 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
31 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
32 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
34 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
35 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
36 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
<5%
37 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
38 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
39 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
40 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
41 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
42 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
43 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
44 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
45 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
46 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
47 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
48 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
49 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
50 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
51 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
52 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
53 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
54 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
55 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
56 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
57 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
58 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a American Wigeon in Saguaro National Park?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a American Wigeon sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 12,586 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see American Wigeon in Saguaro National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for American Wigeon in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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