Eurasian Wigeon
CR

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_wigeon

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Wigeon faces severe population declines due to widespread habitat loss from wetland drainage and agricultural conversion across its breeding and wintering grounds. Climate change is altering precipitation patterns and temperature regimes, disrupting the timing of migration and breeding cycles while degrading critical wetland ecosystems. Hunting pressure and disturbance at key staging areas further compound these threats, pushing populations toward critical levels.

Threat summary

Habitat

Shallow freshwater lakes, marshes, flooded grasslands, and coastal lagoons with abundant aquatic vegetation. During winter, the species utilizes estuarine mudflats, coastal marshes, and agricultural fields near water bodies.

FRESHWATER· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Eurasian Wigeon classified as Critically Endangered?
Eurasian Wigeon is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Wigeon faces severe population declines due to widespread habitat loss from wetland drainage and agricultural conversion across its breeding and wintering grounds. Climate change is altering precipitation patterns and temperature regimes, disrupting the timing of migration and breeding cycles while degrading critical wetland ecosystems. Hunting pressure and disturbance at key staging areas further compound these threats, pushing populations toward critical levels.
Where does Eurasian Wigeon live?
Eurasian Wigeon occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Eurasian Wigeon?
The main threats to Eurasian Wigeon are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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