Skip to main content

Photo: Mehmet Karatay / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Chiloe Wigeon (Mareca sibilatrix) is a member of the Anatidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 923 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Anseriformes
  3. Family Anatidae Ducks, Geese, Swans
  4. Genus Mareca
  5. Species sibilatrix

Where it lives

Southern Cone

Quick facts

Weight
923 g
Diet
Omnivores
Family
Anatidae
Order
Anseriformes

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Chiloe Wigeon is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Chiloe Wigeon is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Chiloe Wigeon (Mareca sibilatrix) is a member of the Anatidae family, within the order Anseriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Southern Cone.

It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 923 g, with a wing length of about 24.5 cm and a tail of around 8.4 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.2 million km².

Songs & calls

Chiloe Wigeon — Call, song

Recorded by Cristian Pinto Fernandez Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Chiloe Wigeon?

The Chiloe Wigeon is a very large bird that weighs around 923 g.

Where does the Chiloe Wigeon live?

The Chiloe Wigeon is found across South America with a range covering SA Southern Cone, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Chiloe Wigeon belong to?

The Chiloe Wigeon (Mareca sibilatrix) belongs to the Anatidae family, in the order Anseriformes.

What does the Chiloe Wigeon eat?

The Chiloe Wigeon is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Chiloe Wigeon migrate?

The Chiloe Wigeon is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Chiloe Wigeon endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Chiloe Wigeon make?

1 real field recording of the Chiloe Wigeon — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Chiloe Wigeon's range?

The Chiloe Wigeon has a mapped global range of about 2.2 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Anatidae

More in Waterbirds

Back to top