Northern Pintail

a.k.a. Pintail, Common Pintail

Anas acuta

A Northern Pintail drake
Photo courtesy of Rupert Stephenson

This handsome dabbling duck is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere. Males are greyish on the back with chocolate brown head, throat and hind neck. The female head and neck is light brown, the underparts are pale to whitish and the upperparts are warm brown.

Pintails are highly social, forming huge flocks in winter and during migration.

Nests are hidden on the ground, sometimes quite a ways from any water. Incubation of the 7-9 buff-colored eggs is a little over 3 weeks.

Pintail Links:

The Wildfowl Omnibus

A drake from the West Coast
Photo courtesy of Romain Kang

A Northern Pintail hen
Photo courtesy of Colt Handorf

A young Pintail drake
Photo courtesy of Clyde Robinson and Avian Empire

Another Pintail drake

Another pair of Northern Pintails, female on the left, male in eclipse plumage
Photo courtesy of Bryan of Dickson Farm

A female Pintail

Young Pintails

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