Northern Pintail |
| Description |
The elegant Northern Pintail may measure up to 30 inches in length. The drake (male) has a brown head, face, and nape. Its neck, breast, and underparts are white. The white from the neck extends into the facial region. The back, wings and sides are gray. The lower back has elongated black feathers with pale fringes. The tail is black, with several long, pointed feathers (hence the name). Female pintails are mottled brown with shorter tail feathers. |
| Diet |
| Grains, seeds, weeds, aquatic insects, snails. Often feeds on the ground. |
| Range and Habitat |
| The Northern Pintail breeds from western Alaska, throughout most of Canada, and south into the western United States and Prairie Pothole regions of the northern Great Plains. Some isolated pairs breed in the eastern United States, but it far more common as a breeder in the west and Great Plains. Pintails can be found throughout North America during migration and occur in the lower two-thirds of North America during winter. The Northern Pintail breeds in shallow ponds and lakes in open country. In the winter, it can be found in a variety of shallow, wetland habitats. |
| Status |
| The Northern Pintail is considered common but its numbers have been declining. |