Birds · Anseriformes · Anatidae

Southern Pintail

Anas eatoni

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

A small dabbling duck, very like a small female northern pintail. Males and females have a similar brownish plumage with cinnamon underparts; they are told apart by the colour of the wing speculum, green in males and brown in females, and by the male's longer central tail feathers. Juveniles are like the adults but more streaked below.

Weight

400 g – 502 g

Size

35 cm – 45 cm

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

IslandsOmnivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Islands

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Fun facts

It owes its name to the English explorer and naturalist Alfred Edwin Eaton, who collected the specimens from which Sharpe described the species in 1875.
It was regarded as a subspecies of the northern pintail, but it is far smaller.
It is especially vulnerable during the post-breeding moult, when it is unable to fly.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Restricted to the Kerguelen and Crozet archipelagos, in the southern Indian Ocean. In summer it occupies small lakes, pools, marshes and other freshwater wetlands; in winter it moves to coastal bays when most of the fresh water freezes over
Birth weight: Precocial: born covered in down and leaves the nest within a few hours
Size at birth: Precocial: born covered in down and leaves the nest within a few hours
Sexual maturity: 1 year

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; del Hoyo, Collar y Kirwan 2017, Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive; Boelens y Watkins 2003, Whose Bird?; Buffard (comportamiento antidepredador del pato de Kerguelen); Sharpe 1875; Reichenow 1875