American Wigeon

How to find it

Start with the wetlands of Guanacaste, especially the Tempisque basin, where it is most regularly found. Because its movements follow water levels, check the lagoons that still hold water as the season goes on. Listen for the airy whistles before you see the birds, since a large flock gives itself away by sound. Then scan the water for the white crown of the males, and watch for the white wing patch when a flock takes off. On a Field Guides trip, at least seven wigeons, including a couple of males in breeding plumage, were seen on a lagoon from a boat in the afternoon.

How to recognise it

This is a medium-sized, slim duck about 51 cm long. Look for these marks:

Rounded head.

Small bluish bill with a black tip.

Large white patch on the upper wing, clear in flight.

The adult male has a white crown and glossy green sides to the head. His back and flanks are pinkish brown, his breast is purplish, and his belly is white.

The female is plainer. Her head is grayish to buff with black speckles, and her breast is pinkish brown. Her wing patch is scaled with white and not sharply defined, so it is less striking than the male's.

What it sounds like

Recording: Fyn Kynd, CC BY-SA 4.0, source, read 4 Nov 2026.

Behaviour and diet

Its movements in Costa Rica follow changes in water levels, so where you find it can shift through the season. Across its range it feeds in shallow water and grazes in fields, eating mainly the leaves, stems, buds and some seeds of pondweeds and grasses. It migrates in small, dense flocks.

Where it lives

In Costa Rica it lives in swamps, pond edges, mudflats, lakes and lagoons. It is found mostly in the Tempisque river basin and sometimes in other parts of Guanacaste. Outside the breeding season, across its range, it uses both fresh and brackish water, foraging along marsh edges, sloughs and sheltered bays.

When to see it

Its Costa Rica season runs from October to March. In very dry years it may leave as early as January.

Similar birds

In silhouette, the wigeon differs from other dabbling ducks by its round head, short neck and small bill. Those three features are a good starting point when you are sorting ducks on a crowded lagoon.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

Costa Rican sources give several names: Pato Calvo (Carraco) on the official list, and Zarceta or Pato Calvo on the Aves de Costa Rica site. The English name Baldpate is an older name that some people still use, especially hunters, and it comes from the white crown.

Status and conservation

The AOCR list marks it as M, a migrant, and BirdLife International rates it Least Concern.

Photography tips

In the dry season, birds crowd into the lagoons that remain at Palo Verde. The trees also lose their leaves, which gives better views. That dry season runs from December to March.