Generally it is the male (drake) that has the colourful plumage while the female (duck) has a more duller and drab appearance.
The female's forewing is gray. Each species of duck listed below will show three photos including the male in breeding plumage, female, and male in eclipse plumage for comparison. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake resembles the female. These eager breeders head to the prairie pothole region of the Great Plains, as well as Canada, and Alaska to nest as soon as the ice breaks up. Juvenile birds resemble the female, but are less neatly scalloped and have a duller brown speculum with a narrower trailing edge. The hen's plumage is more subtle and subdued, with drab brown feathers similar to those of other female The northern pintail is a fairly large duck with a The adult female is mainly scalloped and mottled in light brown with a more uniformly grey-brown head, and its pointed tail is shorter than the male's; it is still easily identified by its shape, long neck, and long grey bill.The northern pintail's breeding habitat is open unwooded wetlands, such as wet grassland, lakesides or tundra. A drake is a fully sexually mature adult male duck of any duck species, wild or domestic, though males do not have to have attracted a mate or sired ducklings in order to be called drakes.The term drake refers exclusively to males while the term duck can refer to either gender, and the term hen refers exclusively to females.Immature birds of either gender are called ducklings, not drakes or hens. Juvenile birds resemble the female, but are less neatly scalloped and have a duller brown speculum with a narrower trailing edge. Was out today in Lower Derwent Valley [Yorkshire, England]and had real trouble identifying a particular duck - by a process of elimination I think it's a pintail. The female prepares for copulation, which takes place in the water, by lowering her body; the male then bobs his head up and down and mounts the female, taking the feathers on the back of her head in his mouth. Elegant Northern Pintails swim through wetlands and lakes with their slender necks and long, pointed tails held high.
In the Spring, the male (drake) requires its colourful plumage to attract a mate during the breeding season. This second moult is less severe and only involves the body feathers so that the ducks can still take to flight. In winter, it will utilise a wider range of open habitats, such as sheltered estuaries, brackish marshes and coastal lagoons. The eclipse plumage is worn for a few weeks or months, depending on the species of duck, before another moult occurs when the male (drake) will once again regain its colourful breeding plumage and can begin to attract a mate before the breeding season starts. During this time for a short period they cannot fly so they find a safe place away from predators until their feathers grow back. The drake also has attractive grey, brown, and black patterning on its back and sides. It is highly gregarious outside the breeding season and forms very large mixed flocks with other ducks.Both sexes reach sexual maturity at one year of age. The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray tinged with orange on cutting edge and lower mandible. Balloon Water Bottle Mouse Trap/How to make a Mouse Trap Handmade with PVC Water Pipe/Trap Show - … If there is a group of males, they will chase the female in flight until only one drake is left. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake pintail looks similar to the female, but retains the male upperwing pattern and long grey shoulder feathers. After mating, he raises his head and back and whistles.Breeding takes place between April and June, with the nest being constructed on the ground and hidden amongst vegetation in a dry location, often some distance from water.
Intricately patterned and pale-faced females join males fashioned with a signature white stripe down their chocolate-colored necks. This is a large duck, and the male's long central tail feathers give rise to the species' English and scientific names. Hi - can anyone give me a steer on when a pintail drake would be seen in eclipse ? Some ducks have a very spectacular and colourful plumage such as the Mandarin, American Wood Duck, and Baikal Teal to name just a few. This page contains photos of male ducks which have an eclipse plumage in the Summer. The female (duck) tends to moult slightly later when the ducklings are older. It is a shallow scrape on the ground lined with plant material and down.Around three-quarters of chicks live long enough to fledge, but not more than half of those survive long enough to reproduce.The pintail feeds by dabbling and upending in shallow water for plant food mainly in the evening or at night, and therefore spends much of the day resting.The winter diet is mainly plant material including seeds and Pintail nests and chicks are vulnerable to predation by mammals, such as The northern pintail is a popular species for game shooting because of its speed, agility, and excellent eating qualities, and is hunted across its range.This species' preferred habitat of shallow water is naturally susceptible to problems such as drought or the encroachment of vegetation, but this duck's habitat might be increasingly threatened by climate change.Hunting with lead shot, along with the use of lead sinkers in The northern pintail has a large range, estimated at 28,400,000 kmPintails in North America at least have been badly affected by avian diseases, with the breeding population falling from more than 10 million in 1957 to 3.5 million by 1964.