Chiloe Widgeon Ducks

Chiloé Wigeon Ducks

A PAIR is a male/female pair of unrelated birds.

• Breeding season Austral spring , September and December ~form monogamous pairs
• Clutch size 8-10 eggs
• Incubation period 25 days
• approximately 2 pounds 

The Chiloé Wigeon is a great duck for beginners. They are not aggressive, easy to breed in captivity, winter hardy, and great for mixed flocks.

Males and females are similar in coloring, though females are slightly duller and have a gray wing patch where males have a white wing patch. Both sexes have a gray bill with a black tip and gray legs. Their chests are barred black and white; the flanks of drakes are rust-colored and light brown on the hens. Both sexes have an iridescent green cap and white cheeks and forehead.

Chiloé Wigeons are native to the southern part of South America with a range from Argentina to southern Brazil. The Chiloé Wigeon is one of few waterfowl to swim the Drake Passage between the tip of South America and Antarctica. Though the northern border of their range in Argentina, "strays" have been spotted as far north as southern Georgia in the US. These ducks live on freshwater lakes, marshes, and slow-moving rivers. They love to graze.

Housing Requirements: As waterfowl, Chiloé Wigeons need a water source. They do perfectly well in mixed collections, so housing them with other varieties of ducks is fine.

Diet: This breed is omnivorous, but tends to prefer vegetation to insects, therefore, plenty of room to graze is necessary. They also need fresh water such as a pond or lake. Additionally, they can be fed waterfowl or game bird feed.