Species

Long-tailed duck

Clangula hyemalis

A pied sea duck with a long, needle tail that dives deeper than almost any other duck.

Photo carbenoid (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Adaptation

At a glance

Size: About 38 to 58 cm long, including the male's tail
Weight: About 500 to 1,000 g
Habitat: Ocean, sounds and large lakes in winter
Diet: Crustaceans, shellfish, fish and insect larvae
In Georgia: A rare winter visitor
Voice: Males give a loud, yodelling "ow-owdle-ow"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Male: White and brown in intricate patterns that change through the year; long, slender black tail; pink band on a dark bill
Female: Brown and white with a dark cheek patch and no long tail
Told apart from: Northern pintail, a freshwater dabbling duck with a long tail but a brown head and grey body
Where to look: Coastal sounds and large reservoirs, December to March

Behaviour

Long-tailed ducks are remarkable divers, recorded feeding at depths of 60 m or more. They use their wings as well as their feet to swim underwater.

Why they matter

This duck breeds around the Arctic and spends the rest of the year at sea or on large lakes. Its deep dives let it feed where few other birds can, and large numbers die in fishing nets in some parts of the world, making it one of the sea ducks of most concern.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A down-lined hollow on Arctic tundra near water
Eggs — Usually 6 to 8
Incubation — About 24 to 29 days
Ducklings — Leave the nest within a day
Flight — At about five weeks
Lifespan — Wild birds over fifteen years are recorded

Living around people

A long-tailed duck on a Georgia lake or beach is a long way from its usual winter range and worth watching from a distance.

Misconceptions

Ducks cannot dive deep. This one reaches depths few seals would bother with.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Wintering	Wintering	Migrating north	Moving north	Arriving in the Arctic	Nesting	Ducklings hatching	Adults moulting	Young flying	Migration begins	Arriving on wintering waters	Wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 34 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.

I found an animal