Wednesday, May 28, 2025
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
The Chronicle News
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
The Chronicle News
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle

The northern pintail

The Chronicle News by The Chronicle News
December 30, 2022
in Lifestyle
0
The northern pintail | The Southwest Chronicle
1
SHARES
7
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
build stronger customer relationships

The northern pintail is a winter visitor to Oklahoma and is this week’s featured creature.

This duck species is often described as elegant, which is appropriate. And, with the male, dapper would be a good description as well.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that northern pintails are extremely graceful and fast fliers and are fond of zig-zagging from great heights before leveling off just before landing.

Pintails, like mallards and gadwalls, are dabbling ducks — meaning they feed in shallow water by skimming food items from the water’s surface, or by tipping up (upending) to reach food under water.

When these ducks are tipping up, usually only their hind ends are visible above the water’s surface.

However, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, pintails will occasionally dive for food.

 

Appearance

 

Male northern pintails can grow to 29 inches in length, which is a little longer than mallards. However, as male northern pintails have long tails and a long neck, their bodies are smaller than those of mallards.

Male northern pintails are pretty unmistakable when it comes to identification. When I first saw one, the words “well dressed” came to mind. Males have long black tails and brown heads with white bellies and breasts. The white coloring takes up a portion of the front of the neck and then, like thin lines, extends up each side of the neck. Males also have a mixture of black, white and gray feather coloring on their backs.

Females grow to about 25 inches, are mottled with various shades of brown and are similar to females of many other duck species, such as mallards, gadwalls and cinnamon, blue-winged and green-winged teals.

However, female northern pintails have plainer heads and slimmer, longer necks than many other ducks. In fact, northern pintails can be described as slim overall, including their shiny black bills.

 

Range

 

Northern pintails winter mostly in the southern half of the U.S. and south to Central America. They also have permanent ranges in portions of western mountain states, such as Colorado, California and Oregon. They nest in many northern states, and most of Canada, eh, and Alaska.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology reports that northern pintails also inhabit Europe, the Middle East, India and Asia.

 

Habitat

 

When not breeding, pintails can be found on lakes, large ponds, reservoirs, marshes, wetlands and flooded or dry agricultural fields.

 

Diet

 

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology reports that winter food for northern pintails predominantly consists of seeds and vegetative material, but also aquatic invertebrates and earthworms.

The Lab also reports that pintails will frequent agricultural fields and eat seeds and grains, such as wheat, corn and barley.

Odds & Ends

 

• Northern pintails migrate during the night at speeds around 48 mph. The longest nonstop flight recorded for a northern pintail was 1,800 miles, according to the Cornell Lab.

• The oldest recorded northern pintail was a male, which was at least 22 years, 3 months old when he was found in Saskatchewan, Canada, according to the Cornell Lab.
• Please remember to check out my Randy’s Natural World on YouTube – www.youtube.com/user/randyadventure.

 

Editor’s Note: Randy Mitchell is a freelance writer and photographer. He has been an avid birdwatcher, nature enthusiast and photographer for more than 40 years. Reach him at [email protected].

You might also like

The Lapland longspur

The western grebe

Bluebird of happiness


Want to reach a local audience and grow your business?

Our website is the perfect platform to connect with engaged readers in your local area.

Whether you're looking for banner ads, sponsored content, or custom promotions, we can tailor a package to meet your needs.

Contact us today to learn more about advertising opportunities!

CONTACT US NOW
Previous Post

Living In High-Definition

Next Post

Elgin athletic achievements reviewed from 2022

The Chronicle News

The Chronicle News

Related Posts

The Lapland longspur | The Southwest Chronicle
Lifestyle

The Lapland longspur

by The Chronicle News
March 13, 2023
The western grebe | The Southwest Chronicle
Lifestyle

The western grebe

by The Chronicle News
March 3, 2023
Bluebird of happiness | The Southwest Chronicle
Lifestyle

Bluebird of happiness

by The Chronicle News
February 24, 2023
RANDY'S NATURAL WORLD: Swan song
Lifestyle

RANDY’S NATURAL WORLD: Swan song

by The Chronicle News
February 17, 2023
Randy's Natural World | The Southwest Chronicle
Lifestyle

Randy’s Natural World

by The Chronicle News
February 10, 2023
Next Post
Elgin athletic achievements reviewed from 2022

Elgin athletic achievements reviewed from 2022

Popular News This Week

  • Warrant issued for man accused of hit-and-run wreck

    Warrant issued for man accused of hit-and-run wreck

    45 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 11
  • Jury finds Lawton man guilty of killing girlfriend

    3 shares
    Share 1 Tweet 1
  • MASTER Builders to hold BBQ rib fundraiser

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Vietnam Veterans to meet

    5 shares
    Share 2 Tweet 1
  • Repairs will close I-44 ramp at Lee Boulevard

    4 shares
    Share 2 Tweet 1

About

Welcome to The Chronicle. The Chronicle gives you the absolute best news sources that are happening in and around Comanche County! Our news are carefully curated and constantly updated to give you the best and most recent news as soon as they happen.

Categories

  • Local News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Entertainment

Site Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Latest News

  • MASTER Builders to hold BBQ rib fundraiser May 23, 2025
  • Repairs will close I-44 ramp at Lee Boulevard May 13, 2025
  • Vietnam Veterans to meet May 11, 2025

© 2023 The Chronicle News

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us

© 2023 The Chronicle News

What Are Cookies
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?