Pintail - description, habitat, interesting facts

The content of the article

1 Features of appearance
2 Features of the bird's voice
3 Lifestyle
4 Duck feeding
5 Breeding features
6 Natural habitat
7 Video: Pintail (Anas acuta)

Pintail is the most famous type of duck on most people in the world. Also many people know this waterfowl under such names as oasttail and shilen.

Features of appearance

The pintail duck rightfully deserves the honorary title of the most real standard of waterfowl. The average weight of this duck is about 1-1.2 kg. In this case, drakes are slightly larger than females. The dimensions of the length of these birds reach 56-58 cm. The wingspan is 85 cm.

I would like to draw attention to the fact that due to the structural features of the shape of the body of this duck, it can be confused with other, larger species. This is due to too long neck and arched tail. However, the structure of the pintail is very elegant, which distinguishes it from other types of waterfowl.Often this species is called the most spectacular and beautiful among all kinds of ducks.

Unlike females, males have more beautiful and saturated colors. Immediately the body itself is gray with a white belly, yellow-black undertail and with dark green inserts on the neck. The head has a plumage of brown or chestnut color.

Of course, such a brightness and juiciness of the male plumage appears only during the mating season. The main difference between the female and the drake is the lighter coloring of the beak and the constant, gray color of the plumage.

Red-headed Pochard - description, habitat

Features of the bird's voice

Pintail has both a peculiar appearance and a voice issued by a male duck, which can be heard during the mating season. A characteristic feature of this voice is the rather high tone of quacking, accompanied by hissing. Drake makes such sounds, lifting his neck high. The quacking of female pintails is similar to that of domesticated ducks.

Lifestyle

Although the duck is sharp-tailed and swims well, however, it does not like diving too much. This is explained by the fact that she does it rather clumsily and badly.Even in the event that the bird is pursued by a predator or is injured, the duck will try to escape only by swimming without diving. The flight of this type of waterfowl is also distinguished by its originality - they fly, they strongly pull the neck, it seems from the outside that they are thus inspecting the area over which they fly.

Despite the fact that pintail belongs to the species of waterfowl, nevertheless, this duck feels fine and on land, as evidenced by the ability to run fast. As a rule, this type of waterfowl does not live in large flocks. The exception in this case is the period of migration and the time of molting. At such a time, there may be up to several thousand birds in a flock of birds.

It should also be noted that the pintail does not apply to territorial birds, that is, the pair do not have their own land for living and protecting their own territory. As a rule, they lodge far from the place of their birth. This, in turn, contributes to the spread of this species in the new lands.

spectacle gaga - description, habitat, interesting facts

Duck feeding

Pintail duck can eat a variety of food - aquatic plants, duckweed, grass, insects, small fish.It should be noted that in most cases, the food of the sharp-tail is directly dependent on the habitat - that is, it may be an abundance of animal feed or the prevalence of plant foods in the diet.

The main forage of pintails can be attributed to: mollusks, algae, various aquatic plants, larvae of the inhabitants of reservoirs.

Breeding features

Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the pintail duck does not have a permanent partner, that is, the pair created is a temporary phenomenon. If a pair is created, then, as a rule, the most suitable time for this is the end of the cold period of the year.

Like most birds, the main task of the male is to attract the female, which is manifested by all sorts of attention signs (characteristic voice “appeals”, long swimming of the drake around the female in “circles”). If the drake has reached the result - a pair of ducks swims away for some distance from other individuals.

For oviposition, the female of the ostrich tail independently chooses a suitable and protected from prying eyes place. As a rule, it is a secluded corner on the surface of the earth, more often in thickets of high grass or in the bushes.The laying of eggs is carried out in the prepared hole, the bottom of which is lined with dry vegetation and down.

The average number of eggs that the pintail female takes down is not more than 10. The process of incubation of the offspring is performed exclusively by the female of the redtail, its duration takes about 3 weeks. When a duck should leave to eat, it always covers the eggs, hiding them under dry leaves. Hatching chicks almost immediately able to swim, which, in fact, they begin to engage. As a rule, the period during which the parents of ducklings carefully monitor them is the first three months, then the young ducks become more independent.

Natural habitat

Pintail, like most waterfowl, refers to migratory birds. In the run-up to the cold season, they fly in flocks to the countries of South America, the southern part of Eurasia. During the nesting period, pintails can often be found in North America and in Northern Europe. Some small populations can also lead and sedentary (US, UK).

In our country, this duck is the most common, as evidenced by its rather large population.In the main nesting place of the island, these are islands, steppes, taiga, tundra marshland.

An interesting fact about Pintail! This waterfowl is the fastest among the many species of ducks, as it is capable of a fairly high speed - up to 80 km / hour.

white-eyed dive - description, habitat, interesting facts