Mareca penelope
Status: Rare casual spring and fall migrant statewide.
Documentation: Specimen: HMM 1782, 26 Sep 1914 Inland, Clay Co (Swenk, Notes Before 1925).
Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (https://avibase.ca/15EE0D36).
This species was recently moved from genus Anas to genus Mareca, based on genetic studies (Chesser et al 2017).
This species hybridizes with American Wigeon; see Eurasian x American Wigeon.
Spring: Feb 29, Mar 5, 5<<<>>>Apr 25, 27 (Brogie 1997), May 2
There are 36 spring reports, 22 in the period 10 Mar-10 Apr. Before and after these dates, documented reports are of a pair 21 Feb 2014 at Walnut Creek Lake, Sarpy Co (Brogie 2015), 29 Feb 1988 Seward Co (Mollhoff 1989), 5-7 Mar 2009 Funk WPA, Phelps Co, 25 Apr 1992 Dawes Co (Morris 1992), 27 Apr 1996 Clay Co, 2 May 1998 Clear Creek WMA, Keith and Garden Cos (Brogie 1999), 15 May 2011 Sarpy Co (Brogie 2011, 2012), and, latest on record, one at Kramper Lake, Dakota Co 31 May 2021.
Fall: There are six reports, four documented:
26 Sep 1914 Clay Co (cited above)
11 Oct 2009 Morrill Co (Brogie 2009)
29 Nov 1966 Lincoln Co (Shickley 1968)
20 Dec-8 Jan 1986-87 Scotts Bluff Co (Mollhoff 1989).
In the Interior of North America, fall records are fewer than in spring, the reverse of the east and west coasts, where there are far more fall records (Edgell 1984).
Images
Abbreviations
HMM: Hastings Municipal Museum
WMA: Waterfowl Management Area (State)
WPA: Waterfowl Production Area (Federal)
Literature Cited
Brogie, M.A. 1997. 1996 (Eighth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 65: 115-126.
Brogie, M.A. 2009. 2009 (21st) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 77: 160-168.
Brogie, M.A. 2011. 2010 (22nd) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 79: 99-111.
Brogie, M.A. 2012. 2011 (23rd) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 80: 112-122.
Brogie, M.A. 2015. 2014 (26th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 83: 125-138.
Edgell, M.C.R. 1984. Trans-hemispheric movements of Holarctic Anatidae: the Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) in North America. Journal of Biogeography 11: 27-39.
Mollhoff, W.J. 1989. Second report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 57: 42-47.
Morris, R. 1992. Spring 1992 Occurrence Report. NBR 60: 79-149.
Palmer, R.S., ed. 1976. Handbook of North American birds. Vol. 2. Waterfowl (Parts 1 and 2). Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, and London.
Shickley, G.M. 1968. Additions to Lincoln County checklist. NBR 36: 54-57.
Silcock, W.R., and R.C. Rosche. 1994. Spring Field Report, March-May 1994. NBR 62: 66-88.
Swenk, M.H. Notes before 1925. Bird notes from A.M. Brooking of Hastings, C.A. Black of Kearney, and B.J. Olson of Kearney, based chiefly on their collections, up to January 1, 1925. Typed manuscript in NOU Archives.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2022. Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 29 Nov 2022
