Anas acuta Northern Pintail Ducks Birds Aves Anseriformes Anatidae

Description

Sex : F

Origin : Italy

Age : adult

Stuffed Northern Pintail Anas acuta Ducks Birds Aves Anseriformes Anatidae, only a piece with pedestal, as in photo.
Family: Anatidae (ducks).
Common name: Pintail or Northern Pintail.
Syn. Dafila acuta.

The Common Pintail (Anas acuta Linnaeus 1758) is a bird of the Anatidae family.
The male on the long pointed tail has two dark green feathers that can reach 10 cm in length, which gave it its English (Pintail) and scientific names (acute = sharp). The females are brown variegated with black with reddish shades, their tail is less pointed. The neck is long, the beak is gray tending towards light blue. Outside the breeding season, the male resembles the female; they are relatively large but slender ducks, up to about 70 cm in length and over 1 kg in weight.
This duck prefers large open spaces such as river estuaries, lagoons, marshy areas and tundras; it is active especially in the evening or at night. It is widespread in northern Europe, northern Asia, much of Canada, Alaska and the central part of the United States. During the winter, this duck migrates south to winter in more temperate regions, covering enormous distances and sometimes reaching as far as the equator.
The nest, built on land but without being too far from water, exists in a shallow hole dug in the soil and lined with plants. The female lays on average 7-10 eggs. The family will remain together until the mother develops new plumage and regrows the feathers needed to fly, after which she leaves her offspring. It feeds mainly on seeds and aquatic plants; during the nesting period, it also eats aquatic insects, molluscs and crustaceans. It also feeds on cereals that it finds in the countryside.