An American wigeon or baldpate, a species of dabbling duck usually found in North America, has been sighted at the Zwin Nature Park in Knokke-Heist (West Flanders). This is a species of duck that is extremely rare. Nine years have passed since the last one was spotted in Belgium. Stormy weather probably steered the bird off course bringing it to Europe from America.
In all, the presence of an American wigeon, like the one seen at the Zwin Nature Park yesterday, has only been recorded in Belgium on 22 previous occasions. Ornithologist Wouter Faveyts of the Zwin Nature Park believes stormy weather brought the duck to our climes: ‘It is a well-known phenomenon among migratory birds that they can deviate from their normal route due to certain weather conditions’. The duck from North America will have been blown off course by Atlantic storms.
Faveyt does cannot rule out that the animal has been roaming Europe for some time. ‘Presumably it landed here in the autumn, but it could also be that it has lived here for longer, perhaps even for years’. American wigeons that end up here often join their European counterparts. The females certainly do not stand out in the group, as their colours are rather neutral. You really need to stand very close to distinguish them. In males, you can tell more quickly, as they have a distinct colour pattern with green and even some purple feathers, as opposed to the white and red of European wigeons. But they often even go unnoticed as singles among hundreds of others.’
American wigeon has a Belgian sweetheart!
The American wigeon in ‘t Zwin seems to be having a perfect time in Belgium. ‘These birds can survive here perfectly well and live a long and happy life. Moreover, the bird observed in ‘t Zwin seemed to be in the company of a European female wigeon. So it seems it has a sweetheart. That too is not unusual. Chances are they will migrate to northern Europe by the spring to hatch a nest of what are called hybrid wigeons.’