Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Species
Why in News?
Northern pintails have arrived at the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a popular winter destination for migratory birds from Siberia, Central Asia, and the Himalayas.
- The Northern Pintail is probably one of the most numerous duck species in the world.
- Scientific Name – Anas acuta.
- Habitat – Freshwater wetlands, lakes, ponds, rivers, saltwater bays, tundra, prairies, flooded fields.
- Distribution – It is found across North America, Europe, and Asia, with many Siberian breeders crossing the Bering Strait to winter in North America.
- Size
- Male - 64-74 cm.
- Female - 21-23 (53-58 cm).
- Appearance – Elegant, slender duck with long neck and tail, slim and long-necked.
- Males have a chocolate brown head with a white slash coming up the neck, a white breast, and a mostly grey body and long pointed tail.
- Females are patterned in light brown, known by a pointed tail, a long neck, a grey bill, and more subdued colouration compared to males.
- Forages in wetlands and in fields on agricultural waste grains.
- Diet – Mostly eat seeds, insects, grains, molluscs, plant material, etc.
- Behaviour – They dabble in wetlands and fields, often mixing with other duck species in the nonbreeding season.
- Conservation Status
- IUCN – Least Concern.
- Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule II.
- Threats – Habitat loss, climate change, vulnerable to wetland degradation, and also sensitive to lead poisoning and avian botulism.
References
- The Hindu | A winter getaway in Assam’s wetlands
- All about Birds | Northern Pintail
- Audubon Society | Northern Pintail
