Northern Pintail

Anas acuta

The northern pintail is a dabbling duck with:

• A long, slender neck.
• A grayish bill.
• Long, pointed tail feathers. The female's tail is shorter than than the male's needle-like one.
• Metallic brown wing patches (called specula) with a white border on one side.

Pintails vary in appearance depending on their sex. Male pintails have:

A grayish back.

A dark brown head.

A white neck and breast.

A finger-like point of white that extends from the neck into the brown part of the side of the head.

Female pintails are mottled brown all over, though their head and neck are slightly lighter than the rest of the body.

Pintails grow to about 26 to 30 inches.

Where does the northern pintail live?

In general, pintail migration along the Atlantic Flyway is poorly understood. Pintails visit the Bay region beginning in early fall. They are usually found in the Bay's freshwater tributaries or in flooded marshes. They leave the Bay region in early spring and migrate northward for the summer.

What does the northern pintail eat?

Pintails tip their heads below the surface of the water to feed on aquatic plants and seeds, insects, snails and crustaceans. They will also feed on grains and sedges.

What does the northern pintail sound like?

• The male's call is a soft, double-toned whistle: prrip prrip.
• Females make a low, harsh quack.

Where does the northern pintail nest and breed?

Pintails nest throughout the center of the continental U.S., as well as in Canada and Alaska to the Arctic Circle.

Other facts about the northern pintail:

• Pintails are also called "sprigs."
• Pintails have the largest breeding range of any duck in North America.