The pintail is a large, long-necked duck of open spaces. The long-tailed, full-plumaged drake is striking with a chestnut head, gray back and flanks, bright white breast and front of neck, and iridescent green bronze speculum. The brown hen is nondescript, but shares the long neck and graceful shape of the drake.

Common vocalizations are the two-note flute-like whistle of the drake and harsh gaak, either single or in a series, of the hen.

In fall and winter, pintails travel in medium to large flocks. In Oregon, flocks seem to fly exceptional distances in daily foraging and can be seen traveling many miles from their roost. It is an uncommon to common breeder and abundant migrant east of the Cascades. It is a rare breeder, but an abundant migrant and winter visitant west of the Cascades. It is a common spring and fall migrant in northeast Oregon.

Hear the call of the northern pintail

Photo by ©Greg Gilson