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Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Anas acuta

Identify the Northern Pintail by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.

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The Northern Pintail is a graceful, long-necked dabbling duck that breeds across northern Europe, Asia and North America. The male is instantly recognised by his chocolate-brown head, white neck stripe and long, pointed central tail feathers, which give the species its name. It migrates long distances to winter in open wetlands far to the south, some almost to the equator. Although affected by habitat change, it remains abundant and is not globally threatened.

Did you know?

  • A ringed Northern Pintail flew from Labrador, Canada, to England in just nine days.
  • Despite its vast range, the Northern Pintail has no recognised geographical subspecies.

Voice

Sound

About the species

Identification

A slender, long-necked dabbling duck. The breeding male has a chocolate-brown head, white neck and breast, grey body and long central tail feathers; the bill is plain blue-grey. Females, juveniles and eclipse males are more uniformly pale brown and less contrasting than many other dabbling ducks; the slim, long-necked shape and pointed tail help identify them.

Family

Anatidae

Size

Large (crow)

Colours

grey, brown, white, black

About the habitat

Breeds in open wetlands such as wet grasslands, lake margins and tundra pools; in winter also sheltered estuaries, brackish marshes, coastal lagoons and flooded fields.

Diet

Mainly seeds and other aquatic plant material taken by dabbling and upending; small invertebrates such as insects and snails, especially in the nesting season.

Behaviour

Migratory and highly gregarious outside the breeding season, often in mixed flocks with other ducks. Feeds by dabbling and upending rather than diving. Nests on the ground, often some distance from water. Flies swiftly with slightly swept-back wings. The drake gives a soft, flute-like whistle and the female a rough quack.

Sources

Photo: J.M.Garg, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northern Pintails (Male & Female) I IMG 0911.jpg

Sound: Jens Loose, XC630615, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://xeno-canto.org/630615

Text: Wikipedia (English) + FinBIF species descriptions + Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0; FinBIF: CC BY 4.0; Wikipedia: CC BY-SA 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_pintail

See also