Eurasian Wigeon vs Gadwall

Mareca penelope compared with Mareca strepera

Key Differences

• Eurasian Wigeon is Vulnerable while Gadwall is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian Wigeon	Gadwall
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order same	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family same	Anatidae	Anatidae
Genus same	Mareca	Mareca
Species	Mareca penelope	Mareca strepera

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian Wigeon and Gadwall share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Mareca.

Conservation Status

Eurasian Wigeon

VU — Vulnerable

Gadwall

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian Wigeon	Gadwall
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eurasian Wigeon

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Gadwall

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

Eurasian Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Gadwall

Gadwall (Mareca strepera) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇺🇸 United States