Northern Pintail

Anas acutaLinnaeus, 1758

Least ConcernVagrant

Order: ANSERIFORMES
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Anas

Conservation: Least Concern
Commonness: Common
Best seen: Year-round

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The pintail or northern pintail is a duck species with wide geographic distribution that breeds in the northern areas of Europe and across the Palearctic and North America. It is migratory and winters south of its breeding range as far as the equator. Unusually for a bird with such a large range, it has no geographical subspecies, although the possibly conspecific duck Eaton's pintail is considered to be a separate species.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Wingspan: 80 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

Field tips

behaviour

Watch for a unique swimming posture where the bird leans forward, often holding the base of its neck nearly flush with the water surface.

flight

Observe the narrow wings that appear swept-back in flight; look for a prominent white trailing edge on the wing speculum that is highly visible from a distance.

plumage

Identify breeding males by their chocolate-brown head and the crisp white stripe extending up the neck, plus a pale yellowish vent area that contrasts with the black undertail.

size_and_shape

This duck has a strikingly slender, elongated profile with a long neck and pointed tail; breeding males display iconic, needle-like central tail feathers.

voice

Listen for the male's soft, flute-like 'proop-proop' whistle; females give a series of descending quacks or a low, rough croak when flushed.

02 · Where

Where to find it

Breeding range: NA, PAL : widespread
Non-breeding range: MA, OR and AF

03 · When

When to look

Months this species is recorded across its Australian range.

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