Kenai Birding Festival

Bird of the Month

Northern Pintail

Monday, 19 April 2010 13:10

The Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) is a large, dabbling duck with gray and black upper parts, white neck, under parts, gray sides. Head, throat, and nape are brown; a white stripe divides front and back of neck. Gray wings have green speculum bordered with brown above and white below. Tail is black, long, and pointed. Breeds from Alaska and Labrador south to California, Nebraska, and Maine. Spends winters south to Central America and the West Indies; also in Eurasia. Preferred habitats include marshes, prairie ponds, tundra, and sometimes salt marshes.