Anas acuta
The northern pintail is considered by many ornithologists to be the most elegant dabbling duck. With its long, slender neck and pointed tail, it has an unmistakable aerodynamic silhouette, being one of the fastest birds in its family in flight.
The male is easily recognised by its chocolate-coloured head with a white stripe running up the sides of the neck to the nape. The tail has two central black feathers, very long and pointed (like a spear). The female is brown, elegant, with a much longer and thinner neck than females of other duck species.
Prefers open wetlands, lakes with little vegetation and shallow flooded areas. In Romania it is present in large numbers during autumn and spring migration, the Danube Delta being a crucial stopping point.
It feeds by upending in shallow water, the length of its neck allowing it to reach food at depths where other dabbling ducks cannot. It consumes mainly seeds of aquatic plants and various invertebrates. It has a direct and very fast flight.
Nests on the ground in open areas. The nest is simple, built in a depression on the ground, usually away from water.
Status is "Least Concern" (LC). However, at global level, populations have experienced periods of decline due to prolonged droughts in tundra breeding areas and loss of wetlands on the migration route.