Northern Pintail duck on brackish water near Rocky Point Park.

The northern pintail is a dabbling duck. Dabbling does not refer to trying one's hand (or wing) at some craft but, in the case of ducks, implies that it is a surface feeder. A dabbling duck spends its time on the water's surface, feeding at or just below the waterline. They will happily take pond weeds, insects, and soft mud. Dabblers, such as mallards, can be seen with their tails pointed straight up into the air as they reach for benthic goodies.

I went on a hike this morning along a favourite trail where I have previously found quite a variety of bird and amphibian species. Today I spotted a number of golden-crowned kinglets as well as a host of some of the more familiar birds. I particularly liked the photo I got of the pintail; I patiently waited for it to right itself as it was busy engaging in its dabbling practices. I love the contrasting body colours and the flowing back feathers; the blue-gray bill is also an amazing feature. Females are lackluster, as is the trend for most dabbling duck species, but have long, spiky tails somewhat like the males.

Northern pintails are common in the prairies west to the Pacific but their range covers most of North America (seasonal map viewable here). It is in its winter range at the moment here along the inland pacific coast waters; in the summer it will likely head northward to breed. Male pintails are easy to identify with their boldly contrasting head, bluish bill, and long sharp tail feathers that are its namesake.

I found some interesting facts about the bird. They are early breeders, often nesting in freshwater bodies before all the ice is off. They are very fast fliers and average 48 miles per hour (77km/hr) over long distances. They can hit speeds of 65 mi/hr (104 km/hr). They are sometimes referred to as "The greyhounds of the air." The oldest recorded wild pintail duck was over 22 years old.

I find all ducks to be amazing creatures worthy of protecting. I appreciate organizations like Ducks Unlimited that have made such a difference in enhancing and protecting important water bodies for these birds.

Thanks for reading.     Ericspix     Eric Svendsen

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