 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
Click for a larger version or to add map overlays |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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-2.77 (-3.96 - -1.62)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Atlas results coming soon
Note: During all years of the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas drought conditions persisted and the Atlas range maps for all waterfowl, waterbirds, and wetland-associated species should be viewed as characteristic of distribution and abundance during dry conditions. Read the full drought statement here.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
Breeding males are adorned with magnificent plumage including a patch of white on the forehead, hence the nickname "Baldpate?; they also give a delightful high-pitched whistle (Mowbray 1999). Aggressive foragers, American Wigeons often steal food from other waterbirds that are better divers. This species is widely distributed throughout the boreal forests, in the northern Great Basin and Great Plains, and locally in the eastern portion of the continent. The birds winter along the Pacific Coast from Alaska south, in interior areas of the US south of the snow line, and into Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Breeding pairs and females attending broods use diverse wetland types, ranging from seasonal ponds to more permanent wetlands. In late summer and fall, moulting and staging birds resort to larger water bodies often associating with American Coots when foraging on wetlands, and sometimes joining Mallards on feeding flights to harvested cereal grain and pea fields. The wigeon bill is adapted for grazing, and wigeons often feed in grassy uplands (Mowbray 1999).
The American Wigeon is locally common in areas of the prairies such as the Missouri Coteau, especially in years of abundant wetlands; otherwise, it is found at low to moderate densities throughout Saskatchewan. Breeding population estimates fluctuate annually depending on pond abundance and distribution.
Original text by Robert G. Clark. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the American Wigeon in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. American Wigeon in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=AMWI&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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