We did a double take. Our trio was out on a Columbus CBC territory in urban Columbus, and we’d stumbled upon a cluster of unusual waterfowl in an urban wetland (off Codet Road near Easton, to be exact). In urban areas, anything besides Mallards and Gadwall is rather unusual, and here we had those and a small flock of American Wigeon. And a single Northern Pintail. I scratched my head. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a pintail on the Count.” In fact, it’s one of the rarest dabbling ducks on the CBC or in central Ohio in general.
It’s a strange phenomenon. Most ducks have started to adapt well to the man-made wetlands around Columbus. Many dabbling ducks, like Northern Shovelers and Gadwalls, winter here now, and a few even stick around to breed. Larger wetlands like those at Battelle Darby, Pickerington Ponds, or Slate Run can often host multiple species like Mallard, teal, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, and Gadwall. But pintail are the odd duck out. They just don’t seem to like our urban or suburban wetlands. It’s not a question of natural vs. man-made, since pintail seem fine with the large managed, artificial marshes in northern Ohio.
Why do they shun Columbus wetlands? They’re very common in large northern Ohio marshes like Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge or Killbuck Marsh during migration, and a few even breed in the Lake Erie marshes. Even central Ohio marshes at Big Island and Delaware Wildlife Area can host big flocks in early spring. So it’s not like they have an aversion to Ohio in general or central Ohio specifically. But it’s not easy to find them in central Ohio outside of early spring.
Let’s dig down a bit into pintail biology. Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) are very widespread in the northern hemisphere, nesting in both North America and Eurasia, hence the “Northern” part of the name. The pintail family, though, appears to have evolved in the New World, since the other varieties – the White-cheeked Pintail and Yellow-billed Pintail – are found in Central and South America. They are elegant ducks – slender and lithe, with long necks, and the male plumage is among the most beautiful of any waterfowl. This video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q-3X9Si5pQ) will give you a good close-up of pintail plumage and behaviors. Don’t watch all of it; just enough to absorb pintail behaviors and their strange little hooting call.
Pintails are very migratory, moving between distinct breeding and wintering ranges, both in Eurasia and North America. Like other dabbling ducks, they are sensitive to cold conditions that can freeze their favorite shallow marshes. Unlike many other dabblers, they migrate in large flocks, over long distances, and at dusk or pre-dawn. This last feature is unusual among ducks, and it implies that pintail have some navigational ability other ducks may lack. It also explains why you might suddenly find a marsh covered with pintail during migration without actually seeing the flocks arrive, as you might with Mallards or Northern Shovelers.
Pintail favor open marshes with short vegetation, and can even adapt to sedge meadows and farm fields with short crops. “Short” is the key word here. Pintail are very wary, and use their long bodies and necks to periodically stretch up and look around for danger. This comes with a skittish temperament, and they will fly off with very little provocation. Watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzITi-3GyQE) of a feeding flock of pintail, and note as they become more excited late in the video. Noisy flocks with twitchy birds looking all around: it’s kind of like the duck version of ADHD. This wariness, plus their fast flight, make them a favorite among hunters.
This same wariness may be what makes them shun central Ohio wetlands. Urban wetlands come with new distractions, in addition to the usual problems of competitors and predators. Cars, overflying planes, walking and driving humans, even slamming doors or distant barking dogs – all might make these habitats more stressful to these highly strung ducks. Unlike placid Mallards or Gadwall, who seem to adapt to the urban disturbances, Northern Pintail may not be able to ignore these new distractions.
Despite all these caveats, you can still find pintail in central Ohio. In migration, we suggest big open wetlands like at Delaware or Big Island Wildlife Areas (though don’t go there until hunting season ends). Also watch for small flocks in closer wetlands like at Battelle Darby or Pickerington Ponds. Don’t be surprised if you see few in fall, as they seem to overfly central Ohio. But large flocks migrate early in spring, and can often be found here by February. Just bring a scope if you want close views, as you won’t get close to these wary flocks.