Anas acuta

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular names

English : Northern pintail
French : Canard pilet

Classification

Class : Aves
Order : Anseriformes
Family : Anatidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification

Adults can reach a body length of 55 cm for a weight of 1 kg. Female and eclipse male entirely brown. Breeding male is unmistakable and has very long tail. Head is brown, breast, neck and belly white, grey flanks and back.

Range and habitat

Breeds in Alaska and Canada, and from northern Europe to east Russia. Winters from USA to Mexico, in subsaharan Africa and in southern Europe and Asia. Lives in freshwater marshes, lakes and streams with dense vegetation cover.

Conservation

IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species is globally common in the wild although some populations have been declining because of climate change and habitat loss.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation