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Pintail Anas acuta   [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae
BTO Codes: PT , PINTA EURING No: 1890
Number in Britain: 28 thousand birds (Winter)
Conservation Status:
UK: AMBER
European: 3 Concern, most not in Europe; Declining
Global: Least Concern
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Status in UK: (A)  Migrant Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies: Monotypic
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Length: 58 cm Wingspan: 88 cm Weight: M: 900 g   F: 700 g    
Scientific name from: L.: anas=a duck and L.: acutus=sharp-pointed
World Distribution: BREEDS: n&c Europe & Asia, North America, WINTERS: south to n&e Africa Asia & n South America
Habitat: Lakes, rivers, marsh & tundra
Diet: Omnivorous, feeds on mud bottom at depths of 10-30cm
TitBit: Probably once the most numerous duck species in the world, the Pintail is a very rare breeder in Britain, possibly because of its very specific habitat requirements - shallow pools in open grassland areas, which are likely to be particularly vulnerable to the world's warming climate  
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Population and Distribution
Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Help with the New Atlas)   
British Population Size:
    Winter: 28 thousand individuals in 1994-99
    Summer: 10 to 34 pairs in 1998-02
    First Record: 1672 [Fossil evidence from Middle Pleistocene, c. 500,000 yr ago]
    First Breeding Record: Inverness-shire 1869
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
    Summer: 20 to 35 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(I,II,III), WBD(II*,III*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results: BirdTrack
Wetland Bird Survey Alerts
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Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 55 x 38 mm Egg Weight: 45.0 g (of which 7 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 0
Clutch Size: 7 - 9 eggs
Incubation: 22 - 24 days by the: Female
Fledging: 40 - 45 days as: Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 1

Number Ringed: 94
Adult Survival: No data Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: No data
Maximum Recorded Age: 15yr11m   (The Netherlands: 27yr 5m)
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Biometrics
Ring Size: F*
Wing Length Sexually dimorphic (female much larger than male)
Male: 276.8 ± 10.3 264 - 289 mm, N =253
Female: 259.4 ± 8.2 244 - 270 mm, N =176
Weight Sexually dimorphic (female much larger than male)
Male: 1.03 ± 0.14 0.79 - 1.25 kg , N =188
Female: 819.1 ± 131.3 . 620.0 - 1050 g , N =151
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
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Other Names
Northern Pintail
Gaelic: Lach-stiùireach Welsh: Hwyaden Lostfain
Danish: Spidsand Dutch: Pijlstaart
Finnish: Jouhisorsa French: Canard pilet
German: Spießente Hungarian: Nyílfarkú réce
Icelandic: Grafönd Irish: Biorearrach
Italian: Codone Norwegian: Stjertand
Polish: Rozeniec zwyczajny Portuguese: Arrabio
Spanish: Anade rabudo Swedish: Stjärtand
Local Names: Winter Duck
Collective Noun: Flight
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For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Kear, J 2005 Ducks, geese and swans Oxford University Press [598.48 KEA]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

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Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.22, Oct 2008). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

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