The Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail is a slender duck measuring 21 to 29 inches in length with a wingspan of close to 3 feet. It is a slender duck with a long, thin neck, a dark gray bill and small head. Its name was derived from its long, pointed tail feathers. The male has a brown head and a white chest, neck and belly. Its sides are gray and it has a green and tan patch with a white border on its wings.

The female is the smaller of the two. Her head is tan rather than brown and her neck, chest, and belly are a mottled tan and brown rather than the distinctive white. The patches on her wings are brown bordered with white.

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The Northern Pintail's summer range includes Alaska, Quebec, and the central Great Plains. They can be found in the northern areas of Europe and Asia as well. They are a migratory bird spending the winters in the central United States, southern Europe and southward toward the equator.

During the breeding season the Northern Pintail prefers the open country with shallow, seasonal wetlands and low growing vegetation. In the winter they will settle in a wide variety of freshwater habitats, including lakes, rivers, marshes and ponds.

Nothern Pintails reach sexual maturity at one year of age. The male will initiate the courtship ritual by swimming close to the female with his head lowered and his tail raised. The whistling is continuous. If more than one male is attempting to count the same female, they will chase her in flight. The flight will continue until there is only one remaining drake.

Copulation takes place in the water. The female will lower her body allowing the male to mount her. After mating, the male raises his head and whistles.

The nest is built on the ground in a shallow scrape hidden amongst the vegetation. It is lined with plant material and down, and is located on dry land some distance from the water.

The female will lay one cream-colored egg each day for 7 to 9 days. The hen will incubate the eggs for 22 to 24 days. Once hatched, the female leads the downy chicks to the water where they feed on dead insects floating on the water's surface. The chicks fledge (fly) 46 to 47 days after hatching, but will remain with the female until she's finished molting.

The young Northern Pintail's mortality rate is high. A fourth of them are lost before they fledge and more are lost before they are old enough to breed. If predators destroy the first clutch of eggs, if it is early enough in the season, the female will produce a second one.

The Nothern Pintail feeds by dabbling. They dip their head down under the water with their tail up in the air, and feed off the plants found along the bottom and along the shore.

The calls of the male and female Northern Pintails are distinctly different. The male will call out in a soft, mellow whistle, but the female quacks. Her voice is often mistaken for that of a Mallard.

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Like many species of aquatic birds, the Northern Pintail's population has been affected by predators, parasites, and avian diseases. Human activities such as hunting, fishing, agriculture, and growth has had a drastic impact on their numbers. The Northern Pintail is not currently at risk, but if measures are not taken to preserve their natural habitat, they like much of our wildlife, will be at risk.