Wigeon (Anas Penelope) is bright in all senses of the genus river ducks. This is a very successful and widespread in the Northern hemisphere, but very little “urban”, preferring a wild area for their habitat. But sometimes these ducks can be found in the parks. Sviazi on my images was captured in Finland and in Priozersk district of Leningrad region.
The male birds are very bright and beautiful, and females have a modest plumage in shades of gray.
The name of this obviously appears the same root as the word “whistle”. This duck has long been among the people called they hiss or Sviyaga, clearly alluding to the characteristic sounds made by the male. Voice as females can be confused with the voice of female Aythya : this is a low “hrrrr” or “grrrr”.
Young individuals-yearlings also painted modestly, but they still will not mix with other duck species.
If we talk about sviazi in Russia, it prefers Northern areas, for example, she willingly and EN masse breeds in the Arkhangelsk region, having mastered the southern tundra and forest-tundra, sometimes populating the forest ponds. And to the South, in particular in the Leningrad, Pskov and Novgorod regions, they nest very rarely. So watch wigeons in our area is spring and autumn migrations, when they form large enough groups, herds and even flocks. Svyazi – migratory birds, and in autumn they fly to wintering often in Africa, sometimes reaching Tanzania.
The nests of these ducks suit on the ground in a dry place, usually under cover of bushes or tall grass, viviva up to 10-12 eggs. The formation of pairs occurs in the fall and in some cases, couples remain United for several seasons. Although I personally, mimicking the whistle of a male provoked a female Wigeon on the willingness to “adultery” : the duck was leaving my boyfriend and closer to my ambush closely, trying to see the male, emits calling signals. Its a male at this time were more cautious, not approaching collecter, but constantly feeding a sound signal, calling to the female “mind”.
From Wigeon prefers biotopes of the North-taiga, with reservoirs with a weak current (backwaters, pools and riffles), avoiding the bodies of water in dense forest, usually staying near woodlands or riparian meadows. On the spans as sviazi often quieter marine bays.
Not be amiss to mention that Wigeon amongst the ducks – has the most vegetarian eating habits. That’s probably why it is of value as a hunting trophy because of high palatability.
