Northern Pintail Ducks

Northern Pintail Ducks

A PAIR is a male/female pair of unrelated birds.

• Breeding season late spring
• Clutch size 7-9 eggs
• Incubation period 22-24 days
• 1-3 pounds

Pintails are attractive birds, with long, graceful necks. The drakes have particularly striking markings.

The Pintail drake has long, black, central tail feathers that come to a point, giving rise to the name "pintail." Drakes also have a white neck and underparts, a chocolate brown head, and lighter brown backs and wings. Hens are duller-colored and lack the bright white stripe. They are brown and white mottled. Both sexes have grey bills, legs, and feet, and a graceful silhouette.

Northern Pintail Ducks have a wide range across North America and Eurasia. In the US, they range from Alaska to the southern US, often nesting in open areas with shallow waters in the northern parts of the country.  As waterfowl, Northern Pintail Ducks prefer areas with open, shallow water, and will often be found in flooded agricultural fields. They prefer areas with low vegetation.

Housing Requirements: Because Northern Pintail Ducks are migratory, they will fly away if not kept in an enclosure. They need water for mating, and as dabbling ducks, for eating.

Diet: Dabbling ducks, such as the Northern Pintail, feed mainly from the surface and edges of the water, rather than by diving. They eat insects and plant materials in the shallows of the water. Northern Pintails feed mostly around dusk.