Wigeon arrive in enormous numbers each winter from Iceland and Scandinavia, feeding in tight flocks on estuarine grass and aquatic plants. Their welfare at UK wintering sites reflects the quality of grazed coastal grassland.
Wigeon welfare at wintering sites depends on access to short-grazed grassland and undisturbed estuarine feeding habitat. Grazing management that maintains short swards — through cattle or sheep grazing at appropriate densities — is critical for wigeon feeding. Ungrazed rough grassland provides no food value for surface-grazing wigeon. Disturbance from wildfowling, recreational use and coastal development forces flocks to use lower-quality alternative areas or expend energy on constant movement between sites. The largest UK concentrations at Ouse Washes, Dee Estuary and Solway Firth represent critical welfare infrastructure for the UK's wintering wigeon population — protection from development and appropriate management are the primary welfare interventions.