Northern Pintail is a slender duck that winters widely across the United States in shallow wetlands and flooded fields. Breeding males have a long, pointed tail, a chocolate-brown head, a white breast, and a thin white stripe up the neck.
Appearance
- Appearance
- It is a slender duck about 20–30 in (51–76 cm) long. Breeding males have a white breast, a chocolate-brown head with a thin white neck stripe, and an extra-long pointed tail; females are mottled brown with a plain tan face.
Look-alikes
A Northern Pintail is larger and has a much longer neck and tail, giving it a taller, slimmer outline.
Why they get mixed upFemales of both species are mottled brown dabbling ducks.
A Northern Pintail is slimmer, with a longer neck and pointed tail; a breeding male also has a white stripe running up the brown neck.
Why they get mixed upBoth are widespread dabbling ducks and often feed in the same wetlands.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- shallow wetlands
- lakes and ponds
- flooded fields and estuaries
- Range
- It breeds mainly across Alaska, Canada, and the northern Great Plains, then winters widely in the United States on wetlands, bays, and agricultural fields.
- Seasonal presence
- It is a migratory duck.
- When it’s recorded
Recorded year-round, every year · most records in Dec–Feb
21,509 observations in the US · 10 years · for reference
Behavior
- Diet
- It and tips up in shallow water for aquatic seeds and insects, and it also walks through fields for spilled rice, wheat, corn, and barley.
- Activity
- Flocks often feed along shallow wetland edges.
- Social life
- It forms groups and mixes readily with other ducks outside the breeding season.
Life cycle
- Breeding season
- In northern North America, nesting begins soon after spring ice starts to break up.
- Nest
- The female makes a shallow grass-and-down bowl on the ground, sometimes in cropland or well away from water.
- Clutch size
- 3–12 eggs
- Incubation
- 22–24 days
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
- Status
- A population decline of more than 50% over 50 years was reported in 2025.