Template:POTD/2023-10-26
The northern pintail (Anas acuta) is a duck with a wide geographic distribution that breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator. Unusual for a bird with such a large range, it has no geographical subspecies if the possibly conspecific Eaton's pintail is considered to be a separate species. It is a fairly large duck, with a long pointed tail that gives rise to the species's English and scientific names. The northern pintail's common name describes the male's two long black tail feathers, which in flight look like a single pin or twig. Hens make a coarse quack and the drakes a flute-like whistle. It is a bird of open wetlands, nesting on the ground and often at some distance from water. It feeds by dabbling for plant food and adds small invertebrates to its diet during the nesting season. When not breeding, it is highly gregarious, forming large mixed flocks with other species of duck. This male northern pintail was photographed at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex in northern California.Photograph credit: Frank Schulenburg