Northern Pintail

Anas acuta

The Northern Pintail is a graceful duck with a long neck and pointed tail! It loves to glide across water and is often seen in large groups.

Habitat: Marshes and wetlands

Appearance

The Northern Pintail is an elegant duck known for the male's long, pointed tail feathers and slender neck. Males have a chocolate-brown head with a distinct white stripe extending up the neck from the breast. Females are mottled brown, sharing the same graceful, slender silhouette.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusAnas

Northern Pintail

Interesting facts

Male pintails have a tail that can be as long as their body!

Pintails fly in V-formations, saving energy during migration.

Their 'pintail' name comes from the male's needle-like tail feather.

They often nest far from water, sometimes in dry grasslands.

Special abilities

Northern Pintail can migrate thousands of kilometers because its strong wings and efficient flight pattern help it cover vast distances quickly.

Northern Pintail can find hidden food in mud because its bill is highly sensitive to feel for submerged seeds and insects.

Northern Pintail has mottled brown feathers that help it hide from predators among reeds and muddy shores.

Measurements & details

Length: 56-74 cm
Wingspan: 80-95 cm
Weight: 0.7-1.2 kg
Lifespan: 10-20 years
Top Speed: 70 km/h
Clutch Size: 6-12
Incubation: 22-24 days
Migration Distance: 4000 km

Diet & Feeding

These ducks mostly eat seeds and plants they find in shallow water, sometimes grabbing insects too.

Age differences: Young ducklings eat more insects and invertebrates for growth.

Primary Foods

aquatic seeds
submerged plants
insect larvae
small crustaceans
grasses

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Adults and ducklings can be prey for this raptor.

eaten by

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Foxes prey on eggs, ducklings, and sometimes adult ducks.

eats

Hardstem Bulrush

Scirpus acutus

Consumes seeds from this common wetland plant.

Traits

Wildlife

Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Omnivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.