I seem to recall seeing the mapped range of American Wigeons extending
right to the Bering Straits (and across?). Like Tundra Swans, Sandhill
Cranes, Gray-cheeked Thrushes? I guess I misremembered.

Gene.

On Wed, 20 Dec 1995, Dennis Paulson wrote:

> >American Wigeons breed in Siberia.
> >
> >Gene
>
> You must have information that I haven't seen, Gene. The latest book on
> Birds of Russia (Knystautus 1993) calls American Wigeon a "vagrant,"
> "recorded in the areas close to Alaska." In Birds of the USSR (Flint et al
> 1984), AMWI is listed as "recorded on the Komandorskiye Islands in 1883."
>
> The status as outlined in Birds of Japan (Brazil 1991) is interesting. It
> is an annual visitor, with 46-65 recorded each winter during the January
> waterfowl counts of 1982-88, with a maximum of 10 at one location,
> obviously less common than EUWI is in this hemisphere. Females are only
> rarely reported, and a few hybrids have been observed. As might be
> expected, AMWI are almost always seen in large flocks of EUWI.
>
> There are vanishingly few ornithologists (and no birders) in those parts of
> Russia adjacent to Japan.
>
> Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
> Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
> University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
> Tacoma, WA 98416
>
>
>