WhenToBird

Mareca americana · Anatidae

When Do American Wigeons Arrive in Vermont?

Adult American Wigeon
Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 via iNaturalist

American Wigeons mostly pass through Vermont: they arrive in early March, peak in mid March (3.5% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of April.

When to look

First arrivalsMar 1-7early March
Common byMar 1-7early March
PeakMar 15-21mid March
Most gone byApr 8-14the second week of April

Best: mid March. First arrivals early March; most are gone by the second week of April. Peak: on about 3.5% of Vermont checklists.

  1. Janrare
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Mayrare
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augrare
  9. Sepuncommon
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decnot usually seen

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%1%2%3%4%Jan 1-7: 0.1% of 12234 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.2% of 8293 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.4% of 7885 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.2% of 10534 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.2% of 7212 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.2% of 8144 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.1% of 10480 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.7% of 7932 checklistsMar 1-7: 1.0% of 8192 checklistsMar 8-14: 3.2% of 9383 checklistsMar 15-21: 3.7% of 10620 checklistsMar 22-31: 3.6% of 16257 checklistsApr 1-7: 2.7% of 12568 checklistsApr 8-14: 1.9% of 14677 checklistsApr 15-21: 1.5% of 14106 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.7% of 19617 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.3% of 18143 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.1% of 19626 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.1% of 17779 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 20310 checklistsJun 1-7: 0% of 11493 checklistsJun 8-14: 0% of 10215 checklistsJun 15-21: 0% of 9951 checklistsJun 22-30: 0% of 11050 checklistsJul 1-7: 0% of 8690 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 7679 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.1% of 7687 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.1% of 10712 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.1% of 7703 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.1% of 7743 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.1% of 8314 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.2% of 12428 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.2% of 9526 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.2% of 8493 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.2% of 8283 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.6% of 10352 checklistsOct 1-7: 1.0% of 8802 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.9% of 9088 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.6% of 7739 checklistsOct 22-31: 1.0% of 10907 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.8% of 7868 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.7% of 7223 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.5% of 7224 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.2% of 8375 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.1% of 6580 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.1% of 6800 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.1% of 8334 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.2% of 10579 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Vermont that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Vermont

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Addison CountyBest late March · 2623 checklists that week, 77,064 in all9.7%
  2. Grand Isle CountyBest late March · 268 checklists that week, 8,507 in all8.3%
  3. Franklin CountyBest late March · 799 checklists that week, 25,284 in all4.6%
  4. Chittenden CountyBest mid March · 2139 checklists that week, 109,477 in all4.1%
  5. Windham CountyBest mid March · 1060 checklists that week, 39,105 in all3.7%
  6. Orleans CountyBest early April · 222 checklists that week, 11,785 in all3.1%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Little Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area (Goose Creek)Addison County, best late March · 62 checklists that week, 598 in all59%
  2. Holcomb Slang CreekAddison County, best the second week of March · 24 checklists that week, 503 in all57%
  3. Little Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area (East Slang Creek)Addison County, best late March · 74 checklists that week, 596 in all54%
  4. Little Otter Creek Wildlife Management AreaAddison County, best late March · 46 checklists that week, 640 in all47%
  5. Sandbar Wildlife Management AreaChittenden County, best late October · 45 checklists that week, 597 in all46%
  6. Pine IslandChittenden County, best the second week of March · 49 checklists that week, 636 in all45%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Vermont, the American Wigeon is most often listed on checklists started between 3 and 5 pm (1.1% of those checklists).

0%0.5%1%1.5%12 am: too few checklists (384) to judge1 am: too few checklists (418) to judge2 am: too few checklists (568) to judge3 am: too few checklists (1183) to judge4 am: too few checklists (3460) to judge5 am: 0.1% of 10340 checklists6 am: 0.3% of 30951 checklists7 am: 0.4% of 64150 checklists8 am: 0.4% of 70252 checklists9 am: 0.6% of 55280 checklists10 am: 0.8% of 47111 checklists11 am: 0.9% of 37615 checklists12 pm: 0.9% of 32195 checklists1 pm: 1.0% of 30185 checklists2 pm: 0.9% of 29679 checklists3 pm: 1.1% of 26483 checklists4 pm: 1.1% of 20110 checklists5 pm: 0.9% of 15993 checklists6 pm: 0.4% of 12110 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (8203) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (4425) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (1829) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (597) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (309) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January0.1%0.2%0.4%0.2%
February0.2%0.2%0.1%0.7%
March1.0%3.2%3.7%3.6%
April2.7%1.9%1.5%0.7%
May0.3%0.1%0.1%0.1%
June0%0%0%0%
July0%0.1%0.1%0.1%
August0.1%0.1%0.1%0.2%
September0.2%0.2%0.2%0.6%
October1.0%0.9%0.6%1.0%
November0.8%0.7%0.5%0.2%
December0.1%0.1%0.1%0.2%

Neighboring states

  • New Hampshire: arrives mid February, 2 weeks earlier than Vermont
  • Massachusetts: arrives early October, 20 weeks earlier than Vermont
  • Connecticut: arrives the second week of October, 19 weeks earlier than Vermont
  • Rhode Island: arrives mid September, 22 weeks earlier than Vermont

Common questions

When do American Wigeons arrive in Vermont?
American Wigeons mostly pass through Vermont: they arrive in early March, peak in mid March (3.5% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of April.
When do American Wigeons leave Vermont?
Most American Wigeons have left Vermont by the second week of April, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until mid April.
When is the best time to see a American Wigeon in Vermont?
The American Wigeon is reported most often in mid March, on about 3.5% of Vermont checklists.
Where in Vermont are American Wigeons seen most often?
By county, Addison County, Grand Isle County, and Franklin County have the highest peak reporting rates for the American Wigeon (counties with at least 200 checklists).