Key information about the UK’s birds and their changing fortunes, based on data collected by BTO and partner organisations.
Pintail
Anas acuta (Linnaeus, 1758)
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PINTA 1890
Family: Anseriformes > Anatidae
The Pintail is an elegant duck, long-necked, long-billed and long-tailed – the last feature giving the bird its name.
Both male and female Pintail share the long, slender dark grey bill, but the male's chocolate head and neck with creamy throat stand out. Pintail are predominantly winter visitors to Britain, preferring sheltered coasts, grazing marshes and estuaries. Key concentrations are found on the estuaries of both south and north Wales, and in Lancashire, although the species can be found throughout Britain and Ireland where there is suitable winter habitat.
The Pintail is a rare and localised breeding bird, widely dispersed, but most likely to be found breeding in coastal East Anglia and the northern and western isles of Scotland. Bird Atlas 2007–11 reported fewer breeding records than the previous atlas.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Pintail
Ducks are usually easy to identify, but the females can be more challenging. Many of our familiar dabbling ducks have subtly-plumaged brown females which, on first glance, appear similar. This workshop will help you tell them apart with confidence.
Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Pintail, provided by xeno-canto contributors.
Call
Develop your bird ID skills with our training courses
Our interactive online courses are a great way to develop your bird identification skills, whether you're new to the hobby or a competent birder looking to hone your abilities.
The Pintail has a small and very localised breeding population, monitored by the RBBP, with a five-year mean of 28 breeding pairs over the period 2015–2019, mostly in Scotland, which represents a weak decrease over the 25 years to 2019 (Eaton et al. 2021). Over the longer term, there has also been a decrease (-32%) since 1968–72, in the number of 10-km squares where breeding Atlas evidence has been recorded (Balmer et al. 2013).
The winter distribution map reveals preferences for grazing marshes, river floodplains, sheltered coasts and estuaries while the relative abundance map confirms the importance of estuaries throughout most of Britain & Ireland for this species. The Pintail is a rare and localised breeder with clusters of records only in Orkney, North Uist, Tiree, the East Anglian coast and the Ouse Washes and isolated records elsewhere.
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Accompanying a long-term population increase there has been a 34% increase in Pintail range size in Britain in winter since the 1981–84 Winter Atlas, and notable gains include the Northern Isles and eastern fringes of the Scottish coast, with more extensive gains farther south into England and Wales.
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution Change 1968–72 to 2008–11. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution Change 1981–84 to 2007–11 More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Change in occupied 10-km squares in the UK
% change in range in breeding season (1968–72 to 2008–11)
Pintails are locally common winter visitors, present from late August to May.
Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells) and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
An overview of year-round movements for the whole of Europe can be seen on the EuroBirdPortal viewer.
The declining trend in the UK is in line with range losses occurring in Fennoscandia and central Europe (Keller et al. 2020). However, the reasons for the UK declines are unclear.
Links to more studies from ConservationEvidence.com
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