Northern Pintail

The latest to wing its way to the Sukhna Lake at Chandigarh is the Northern pintail (Anas acuta), an elegant medium-sized dabbling duck with a slim profile, long narrow neck and pointed tail, that is native to the northern areas of Europe. The male’s long central tail feathers give rise to the species’ English and scientific names. Like last year , this year too, I spotted a flock of Northern Pintail at Sukhna Lake Regular End in the second week of February.

These migratory birds make the nearly 7,000 kilometer journey to escape the harsh winter of their breeding grounds and spend the winter months in the warmer regions of Asia. If you like ducks, then the Northern Pintail just might be there in your favorite list! 

Males have a chocolate brown head, white foreneck, blue-gray bill with black stripes and a long “pin” tail. Wings are gray with an iridescent green patch. Females are mottled brown and have blue bills with dark spots or mottling.  It is not a very big bird but makes up for it in strength and aggressiveness if anyone comes near their nest (especially when nesting).