Northern Pintail vs Mallard
Anas acuta comparé à Anas platyrhynchos
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Northern Pintail | Mallard |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Anas acuta | Anas platyrhynchos |
| Ordre | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Famille | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | 58,0 cm (22.8 in) |
| Envergure | 51,3 cm (20.2 in) | 90,0 cm (35.4 in) |
| Poids | 912,75 g (32.20 oz) | 1100,0 g (38.80 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow water; diet dominated by hard-shelled benthic … | Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … |
| Taille de la couvée | 3-12 | 4-18 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Northern Pintail
Breeds on shallow prairie wetlands, tundra ponds, and arctic meadows. Winters on coastal estuaries, lagoons, rice paddies, and agricultural fields across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. Highly migratory.
Mallard
Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.
Song & Call Comparison
Northern Pintail
Male produces a low, mellow whistle; female gives a hoarse, nasal quack. The male's soft, flute-like call is one of the most distinctive sounds of northern wetlands in spring.
Mallard
Female gives the classic 'quack-quack-quack', descending in pitch. Male utters soft nasal 'raeb-raeb'. Both give a high 'gag-gag-gag' when alarmed or taking flight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Pintail
Breeds in Arctic Canada, Alaska, and Greenland; winters along the coasts of the North Atlantic from Labrador to West Africa.
Mallard
Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Statut de conservation
Northern Pintail
Mallard
How to Tell Them Apart
Northern Pintail
Breeding males have chocolate-brown head; white neck stripe extending to breast; gray flanks with long pointed central tail feathers. Females mottled brown with pointed tail and gray bill. Elegant and …
Mallard
Breeding males have an iridescent green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, and grey body. Females are mottled brown. Both sexes show a blue speculum bordered by white.
Broad, flat bill — yellow-green in males, orange-brown in females
About These Birds
Northern Pintail
A large elegant dabbling duck with a long slender neck. Males have a chocolate-brown head, white underparts and neck stripe, fine grey body, and dramatically long central tail feathers. Highly migratory; one of the world's most abundant ducks. Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions worldwide.
Mallard
The mallard is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds and the most abundant and widespread dabbling duck in the world. Males perform elaborate courtship displays including head-bobbing and whistle-grunt calls. Mallards are highly adaptable, thriving in both wilderness and urban environments.