The wigeon is one of the UK's most numerous wintering ducks, with welfare dependent on access to short, flooded grassland and estuarine habitats for grazing on aquatic vegetation.
Wigeon welfare at wintering sites depends on access to shallow, flooded grassland that provides the grazing habitat they prefer. Drainage of permanent pasture and intensification of wetland management reduces the quality of key sites. Disturbance from wildfowling and recreational activity causes repeated flushing that depletes energy reserves. Severe winters reduce food access on frozen or snow-covered grassland. Protected areas that maintain flooded grassland at appropriate levels through water management provide the habitat quality that allows wigeon to meet their nutritional needs through the winter without excessive energy expenditure.