Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 20.1–29.9 in
51–76 cm - Weight
- 17.6–51.1 oz
500–1450 g
Other Names
- Canard pilet (French)
- Pato golondrino (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Like the Mallard, the Northern Pintail breeds in a variety of habitats all across northern North America and Eurasia. Also like the Mallard, island populations have splintered off and evolved into separate species. Two closely related forms can be found on Crozet and Kerguelen islands in the very southern Indian Ocean, known as Eaton's Pintail (Anas eatoni
- The Northern Pintail is among the earliest nesting ducks in North America, beginning shortly after ice-out in many northern areas.
Habitat
Lake/Pond
Nests in open country with shallow, seasonal wetlands and low vegetation. Winters in wide variety of shallow inland freshwater and intertidal habitats.
Food
Seeds
Grain, seeds, weeds, aquatic insects, crustaceans, and snails.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–12 eggs
- Egg Description
- Greenish buff.
- Condition at Hatching
- Covered in down and able to leave the nest soon after hatching.
Nest Description
Scrape in ground in brush or grass, lined with grass and down; usually not near water.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Dabbler
Picks food from surface of ground. Dabbles, filter-feeds at surface of water, tips-up in shallow water.
Conservation
Least Concern
Not endangered, but populations are lower than desired.
Credits
- Austin, J. E., and M. R. Miller. 1995. Northern Pintail (Anas acuta). In The Birds of North America, No. 163 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.