Northern Pintail: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Ducks, Geese and Swans · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. The male's long, pointed middle tail feathers give this elegant duck its name, both in English and in Latin.
2. Its long neck lets it pull food from the bottom of water up to 30 cm deep, out of reach of shorter-necked ducks like the mallard.
3. Pintails are very fast fliers. Unlike other ducks, they hold their wings slightly swept back instead of straight out.
4. The drake doesn't quack: he gives a soft "proop-proop" whistle. It's the female who quacks, a bit like a mallard.
5. Pintails can live a long time. The oldest one on record, a bird from the Netherlands, reached 27 years and 5 months.

The quiz

1. What gives the pintail its name?

• Its sharp, pointed bill
• The male's long central tail feathers (correct)
• Its pointed wings
• Its sharp whistling call

Both names come from the male's long, pointed central tail feathers.

2. What is the deepest water a pintail can reach the bottom of to feed?

• 1 m
• 3 m
• 10 m
• 30 cm (correct)

Its long neck lets it reach food on the bottom up to 30 cm deep.

3. How does a pintail hold its wings in flight?

• Slightly swept back (correct)
• Straight out from the body, like other ducks
• Held still for long glides
• Tucked in close to its body

Its wings are slightly swept back, unlike those of other ducks.

4. What sound does the male pintail make?

• A loud descending quack
• A deep honk
• A soft whistle (correct)
• A low croak

The drake gives a soft proop-proop whistle; the quack is the female's.

5. How old was the oldest pintail on record?

• 5 years
• 27 years and 5 months (correct)
• 50 years
• 12 years

A Dutch bird reached 27 years and 5 months.

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