Duck of the Week: Northern Pintail

One year of Duck of the Week!

This week marks the 52nd Duck of the Week post. Shortly after I started this project, I set myself the goal of posting every week for a year—and here we are.

I will continue to post duck content in some form going forward, but after this week I plan to take a break from these weekly spotlights of various duck species. (Besides, there are only so many unique duck breeds and species to talk about!)

With that said, I present the latest Duck of the Week: the Northern Pintail.

A male Northern Pintail out for a swim. Photo by Frank Schulenberg. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Pintails are large ducks that can be found throughout most of the northern hemisphere.

Males have long, pointed tails that give these ducks their name. They have brown heads and a white stripe on their necks, with gray bodies highlighted by black stripes. Females have brown feathers over most of their body, similar to patterns of females from other dabbling duck species.

A female Northern Pintail, showing off her chocolate-brown feathers while in flight. Photo by Frank Schulenberg. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Northern pintails can be found in lakes and wetlands, often choosing to nest on the ground away from water. They often couple during migration and are one of the first species to breed in the spring.

Northern Pintails have large numbers across the world—though they are considered endangered in Europe—and if you live in the northern hemisphere, there’s a decently good chance you’ve seen one before. I know I’ll be on the lookout for them going forward.

Thank you for reading Duck of the Week! I’ve greatly enjoyed this project. I will return with more duck content soon.