Callum Macgregor

Medium-sized duck with extremely large, circumpolar breeding range across wetlands in sub-arctic and boreal zone of Europe, Asia and North America. More scattered breeding in central Europe and Scandinavia. Winters Western Europe, North Africa and Sahel zone, Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, north America. Slight decline but population very large. Prefers open grassland, prairie or tundra habitats with wetlands. In winter on lakes, coastal marshes, estuaries, tidal areas and river deltas. Diet omnivorous. Hunted in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Finland, Baltic States and Russia.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendDecreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		310000-401000,353000
Red List categoryVU
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Northern Pintail

Migration in Europe predominantly northeast - southwest oriented, with Scandinavian and western Russian breeders wintering in western Europe and western Africa, central Russian breeders wintering in Wolga delta, Middle East, North-western and sub-Saharan Africa, but with many cross-links. Icelandic breeders winter UK and western Europe. Links to Eastern North America presumably also via Icelandic breeding grounds, and from China and Japan to Alaska and California through Bering Sea region. Spectacular East-west connections presumably occur via breeding or moulting sites halfway and are not single migrations.

Recoveries by Condition for Northern Pintail

Two-thirds of all recoveries refer to shot or intentionally taken birds. Clear peak in encounters during last decade of July and first decade of August, presumably marking start of hunting season in many countries. Most birds encountered in 1950-1980. Assuming large unknown category pre-1960 refers to shot birds mainly, proportion shot birds has declined over time, with 40% in 1991-present, and ring recoveries and ring readings reaching more than 50% in this period.

Annual Movements for Northern Pintail

Wintering quarters vacated during end March begin April, spring migration concentrated in April and early May, with birds reaching Russian breeding grounds last decade of May. First southward movements already by end of June, birds reaching southern moulting areas in Wolga Delta and Western European wetlands end July and August, others remaining at scattered locations further north. Most birds reaching western European and UK wintering areas in September and October. Southern wintering areas in Africa and Asia reached in November. Hunting seasons likely bias movements patterns.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Northern Pintail

Bird encountered in winter months in Western Europe connected to staging sites in SW Russia in April, western and north western Russia in May, and to breeding grounds in Finland and Russia in June - July. Some connections to Wolga Delta in late summer suggesting some western European winterers moult there. Very large numbers encountered in Wolga Delta in July mainly connect to staging and breeding sites in Russia both sides of Ural in May-July, and to wintering sites in Italy, Balkan, Greece, Tunisia and Middle East in November – March. Many mid-winter movements within Europe between UK and mainland and from low countries to France, Spain and some extent Italian Po Delta. Summer encounters in West and central Europe few and Only connected locally.

Henk van der Jeugd

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries