Anas acuta
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The pintail or northern pintail (Anas acuta) is a duck species with wide geographic distribution that breeds in the northern areas of Europe and across the Palearctic and North America. It is migratory and winters south of its breeding range as far as the equator. Unusually for a bird with such a large range, it has no geographical subspecies, although the possibly conspecific duck Eaton's pintail is considered to be a separate species.
The Northern Pintail is a large duck, and the long central tail feathers of the male give the species its English and scientific names. Both sexes have blue-grey bills and grey legs and feet. The drake is more striking, with a thin white stripe running from the back of its chocolate-coloured head down its neck to its mostly white underparts. The drake also has attractive grey, brown, and black markings on its back and sides. The hen's plumage is more subtle and subdued, with drab brown feathers similar to those of other female dabbling ducks. Hens make a rough quacking sound and the drakes a flute-like whistle.
The Northern Pintail is a bird of open wetlands that nests on the ground, often some distance from water. It feeds by dabbling for plant food, adding small invertebrates to its diet during the nesting season. It is highly gregarious when not breeding, forming large mixed flocks with other duck species. This duck's population is affected by predators, parasites and avian diseases. Human activities, such as agriculture, hunting and fishing, have also had a significant impact on numbers. Despite this, the species is not globally threatened due to its large range and abundance. Wikipedia →
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Pintail sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 796 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 116th most-seen of the 259 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–April and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Pintail in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in May–September and November–February, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Pintail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
37th of 109
Of the 109 cities where we can rate Northern Pintail sightings, Calgary ranks 37th at under 5%. The best odds are in Sendai (Japan, about 40%), Mesa (United States, about 20%) and León (México, about 20%).
Same genus: Anas
The closest relatives of the Northern Pintail that you can see in Calgary (genus Anas, Mallards, Pintails, and Allies) are Mallard (about 80%) and Green-winged Teal (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Pintail is recorded against all the birds logged in Calgary (796 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
