I am an American wigeon. I am also known as a baldpate, and scientifically I am Anas americana.
Miles to go. We spend the summers as far north as western Canada and Alaska and we winter all the way down to South America and the western Caribbean.
Hard to find us. We are very secretive. If you do see us, you will notice that the males have a distinctive white crown or baldpate, a beautiful, green eye band and a white shoulder patch. Both sexes have a short blue-gray bill with a black tip and a white underbelly.
The poacher. Of course, the best food is that just outside of one's reach. Because we aren't great divers, we hang around and wait for others to submerge to get the good stuff and then we snatch it from them.
Burp! During courtship, we guys make this really cool burping sound. That always makes the ladies swoon!
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Dave Castelan / Arizona Daily Star