Their Latin name is Anas acuta and they belong to the Anatidae family of ducks, swans and geese.

Description

The drake is probably the handsomest of our ducks. It has a chocolate coloured head with a wavy white stripe extending up the side of his otherwise brown neck and down to a white breast and belly and a very long tail (up to 10 inches long), which makes up a quarter of his body length. The two long central tail feathers are black with the others are grey edged with white.

The tail is shorter on the female but still longer than other dabbling ducks and she is still unmistakably elegant with her slender, almost swan-like neck, small plain head and long slim grey beak with a black stripe along the centre to the tip, the same as the male. The legs and feet are slate grey.

In flight the Pintail looks distinctively slender thanks mainly to their long necks and long pointed tails. In both male and female, it is the white trailing edge to the speculum which is most conspicuous.

The pintail measures 43-55 cm and weighs about 660-830g.

The drake has a mellow whistled “kwee” or “kwee-hee” call, whilst the female has a hoarse muffled “quack.”

Migration

Between September and April, many Pintails winter in Western Europe, especially in Britain, Holland, Belgium and France. If the winter is particularly harsh, they will move further south to Spain and Portugal. They are common winter visitor to England, especially on large estuaries, such as the Dee, Solway Estuary, Ouse Washes and the Mersey. A few pairs breed in Scotland. The Pintail breeds on moorland by lochs and pools and also in marshes.

Feeding

Pintails are partly nocturnal feeders. Their long necks enable them to reach deeper than other dabbling ducks for bulbous roots, tender shoots, insects and their larvae, worms and snails. In the autumn they eat various seeds, water plants and grain.

Breeding

The male Pintail begins its courtship displays early in the New Year. Several drakes crowd round a single duck making soft calls. Suddenly one and then another drake will rear his breast out of the water. As he settles down again, the beak is flicked through the water to make a shower of spray directed towards the duck. The second part of the display follows quickly. Each drake stretches his neck upwards and backwards, raising his tail out of the water at the same time as if trying to touch the back of his head with his tail. If the performance is disturbed, the tails all go down at once.

Once the Pintails have mated, they nest on low but dry, grassy land close to water, usually under the shelter of a bush and the female lays seven to ten eggs which she incubates for about 26 days. They may produce more than one brood a year and the pair may bond for quite a long time and may stay together for several seasons.

The chicks are downy and the female leads them to the nearest water when they are dry. Here they feed on dead insects on the water surface. The chicks take 46 or 47 days to fledge but will stay with their mother until she has finished moulting.