Northern pintail

    Anas acuta

Castilian: Ánade rabudo

Catalan: Ànec cuallarg

Gallego: Pato rabilongo

Euskera: Ahate buztanluzea

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Anseriformes

Family: Anatidae

Migratory status: Winter resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Vulnerable”.

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THREATS

The destruction or alteration of wetlands is the main problem, although other threats can be present depending on the area; for example, depredation in the marshes of the Guadalquivir River.

Length / size: 51-66 cm / 79-87 cm

Identification: Bird with generally grey tones that is characterised by the length of its central tail feathers, as its name indicates. During mating season the male's tail is long and black, the head is brown with a white line that goes down to the neck and chest, and the bill is elongated and black with blue on the sides; the female is brownish and mottled, and is distinguished from the rest because of her long tail feathers.

Song: The male makes a short and clear whistle with slow repetitions, "kreeoo"; the female makes a type of quack during courtship.

Diet: Practically vegetarian, it drags the bottom at a greater depth than other ducks because it submerges its head and long neck in the water; it can also feed on larvae and some mollusks, in addition to grains or rhizomes it finds on the bottom.

Reproduction: Around the month of April, the pairs go to the breeding sites, and it is the female that builds the nest, which is made of pieces of vegetation and down and placed among the grass or in some scrubland away from the water. The chicks can feed themselves within a few hours of hatching, but they remain in the nest and are cared for by the mother until reaching full development.

HABITAT

It is routinely found in shallow ponds and pastureland that is near water, although in winter it moves to wetlands that are near the coast.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: Small populations arrive to the peninsula in winter, and they are distributed throughout the Ebro Delta, the Eo Inlet, the wetlands around Doñana, and the Guadalquivir wetlands, where it habitually breeds.

In Castile and León: Its normal wintering sites are Villafáfila (Zamora), La Nava lake (Palencia), the Rosarito swamp and El Oso lake (Ávila).

Movements and migrations: It is a habitual migratory species in the peninsula. Beginning in September specimens begin to arrive, but the greatest passage takes place between November and December.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 25000 wintering specimens.

In Castile and León: There is an estimated average population of 100 wintering specimens.