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Archives » Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

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Hunters' Names for Ducks

Hunters have nicknames for waterfowl that capture the distinctive sound and sight of these birds, such as "Spoonbill" for this Northern Shoveler. And why is the Northern Pintail called a "Sprig"? WNPR listener David, in Belchertown, MA, tells us that the answer can be found in Gurdon Trumbull's... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  language
Related bird:  Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis), Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)

Earth Day

Northern Bobwhite ... Evening Grosbeaks ... Boreal Chickadees ... Common Terns ... and Northern Pintails, like this one ... the populations of all are in decline, mostly due to habitat loss. On Earth Day, join those who are finding ways to conserve the natural resources that sustain the full... read more »

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Related bird:  Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

Tracking Pintail Migration

Thirty years ago, there were six million Northern Pintails in North America. Now? Just over three million. Duck numbers plummeted in the 1980s drought. When returning rains improved breeding habitat, duck abundance rebounded. Except for Northern Pintails. During migration, the birds fly first to... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  migration, science
Related bird:  Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

Northern Pintail - Elegance and Decline

In recent years, unlike many other North American ducks, Northern Pintails present a portrait of sharp decline. Pintails nest in grasslands near seasonal wetlands. Increasingly, these grasslands are being plowed up to grow crops such as corn. But people who love pintails are responding. Ducks... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  nesting
Related bird:  Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

Rainwater Basin

For 20,000 years, spring rains and melting snow have filled the playas of the Rainwater Basin of south-central Nebraska. As winter ends, ten million waterfowl rest and feed here before continuing north. The seasonal wetlands form a funnel for birds heading from the Gulf Coast and points south to... read more »

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Related bird:  Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)

The Great Missoula Floods

During the last ice age, part of the ice sheet covering what is now western Canada advanced far enough into Idaho to block a major waterway, now called the Clark Fork River. The ice dam backed up the river, creating a gigantic lake in (what is now) Montana. Every so often, the weight of all that... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  history
Related bird:  Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Related images: 

A Hybrid Mallard / Pintail

This male duck has the head color and shape of a Mallard. The bill is the shape and size of a Mallard, but the grayish blue color of a Northern Pintail. After the brownish breast of a Mallard, the body is almost entirely Northern Pintail, including gray flanks and back, green speculum (wing patch... read more »

© Gregg Thompson

A Hybrid Mallard / Pintail (2/2)

In this view, this duck looks just like a Northern Pintail. Well, it isn't any normal pintail. Click here to see for yourself.Here are some BirdNote shows on the Mallard and Northern Pintail. read more »

© Gregg Thompson

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Northern Pintail courtship

Northern Pintail courtship

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Northern Pintail — Males performing courtship displays

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Pintail or Northern Pintail (Anas acuta ♂) / Spießente [2]

Pintail or Northern Pintail (Anas acuta ♂) / Spießente [2]

Webcams and videos are hosted by third parties. In exchange, you may periodically see 30-second advertisements. BirdNote does not endorse any of the products, services, or causes on third-party pages. All webcams have seasonal changes and may be down for hours, weeks, or months at a time. If this one is not active, please check our video or webcam gallery for more.

Northern Pintail — Drowsing close-up

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