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Northern Pintail
Scientific Name - Anas acuta
Identification Tips:
Length: 18.5 inches
Wingspan: 35 inches
Medium-sized dabbling duck with very long neck, small
head and attenuated rear
Juvenile similar to adult female
Adult male alternate:
Alternate plumage worn from fall through early summer
Pale gray bill with black stripe down center
Dark brown head
White neck, breast and belly with white finger extending
up back of neck to rear part of face
Gray flanks and back with black centers to back feathers
Whitish patch at rear portion of flanks bordering
undertail coverts
Black undertail coverts
Long, black central tail feathers
Green speculum with white rear border and chestnut
forward border
Adult male basic:
Similar to adult female but retains green speculum
Adult female:
Gray bill
Tan head and neck
Mottled tan and dark brown back and body plumage,
paler on belly
Brown speculum with white rear border
Similar species:
Adult male unmistakable in alternate plumage. Females,
immature and eclipse-plumage males are similar to
many other female ducks but have a distinctive shape:
very long-necked, small-headed and pointed-tailed.
Note also female's brown speculum bordered at the
rear by white.
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