Northern Pintail

Adult males in breeding plumage feature a distinct brown head, a white stripe extending up the neck from a white breast, grey flanks and back, and elongated central tail feathers (pintail). Females are mottled brown with a greyish bill, offering cryptic camouflage.

Slender shape, long dark pointed tail, brown head with white neck stripe in males, and blue-grey bill.

Length: 51-76 cm (20-30 in); Wingspan: 80-95 cm (31-37 in); Weight: 450-1360 g (1-3 lb)

Males emit a soft, low-pitched whistle or flute-like trill. Females give a low quack, similar to a Mallard but softer and more raspy.

Primarily plant material including seeds, grains, and roots, supplemented by aquatic insects, snails, and small crustaceans during the breeding season. Forages by dabbling or tipping up.

Open wetlands, marshes, shallow lakes, tundra pools, estuaries, and agricultural fields.

Strongly migratory. Populations breeding in the far north travel considerable distances south for the winter.

Nests on the ground in a shallow scrape lined with plant material and down, hidden in dense vegetation away from water. Clutch size is typically 7-9 olive-buff eggs.

Mallard and Eurasian Wigeon, but easily distinguished by the Northern Pintail's exceptionally long neck, slender body, and pointed tail.

Acts as an important seed disperser for wetland plants and helps regulate aquatic invertebrate populations. Serves as an indicator species for wetland health.

Least Concern, though population numbers fluctuate based on prairie wetland conditions and drought cycles.

Look for them in open wetlands, shallow lakes, and flooded agricultural fields during winter months. They are often quite wary, so approach slowly and use binoculars.

The Northern Pintail is one of the most widely distributed ducks in the world, found across three continents. They are also among the earliest ducks to migrate south in the autumn.