Long-tailed duck

The long-tailed duck is a medium-sized sea duck that breeds in the tundra and taiga regions of the arctic and winters along the northern coastlines of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is the only member of the genus Clangula.

Loading map...

Distribution

Region

Circumpolar Arctic

Typical Environment

Breeds across Arctic tundra and taiga zones of North America, Europe, and Asia, nesting near freshwater lakes and ponds. Outside the breeding season it moves to marine environments, wintering along the northern Atlantic and Pacific coastlines. It favors shallow coastal waters, estuaries, bays, and offshore shoals where benthic invertebrates are abundant. During migration it can occur on large inland lakes and rivers.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1500 m

Climate Zone

Polar

Characteristics

Size44–60 cm

Wing Span65–75 cm

Male Weight0.95 kg

Female Weight0.8 kg

Life Expectancy10 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

The long-tailed duck is the only member of the genus Clangula and is renowned for its deep-diving ability, reportedly reaching depths of around 60 m. Males sport very long central tail feathers in breeding plumage, giving the species its name. Highly vocal, it has yodeling calls that carry over winter seas. It breeds on Arctic tundra pools and winters in large flocks along northern coasts.

Gallery

Breeding male, Norway

In flight

Egg, Museum Wiesbaden

Mother and six ducklings in Iceland

Swimming on Lake Ontario

Behaviour

Temperament

social and active

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats and low fast direct flight

Social Behavior

Forms large, cohesive flocks in winter, often diving synchronously. Pairs form on wintering grounds or during spring migration; nests are on the ground near water, lined with down. Females incubate and tend the brood; males typically depart early in the breeding season.

Migratory Pattern

Seasonal migrant

Song Description

Highly vocal with musical, yodeling calls that carry over open water. Males give a distinctive ow-ow-lee or yodel-like series, especially in winter and spring. Contact calls are conversational and frequent within flocks.

Unlock detailed bird insights with Pro access today.

Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Long-tailed finch

The long-tailed finch is a common species of estrildid finch found in northern Australia, from the Kimberley region to the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is a predominantly fawn-coloured bird with a pale grey head and prominent black bib and eyes. It inhabits dry savannah habitats in Australia and adapts readily to aviculture.

Long-tailed fiscal

The long-tailed fiscal is a species of bird in the shrike family Laniidae. The species is closely related to the more widespread grey-backed fiscal and is sometimes placed in a separate subgenus, Neolanius, with that species. It is found in southern Somalia, southern and south-eastern Kenya, from the shores of Lake Victoria to the coast; and northern and eastern Tanzania south to Dar es Salaam, with a separate population at Usanga Flats. Its natural habitat is open dry habitats such as dry, treeless savanna, open woodland and cultivated patches.

Long-tailed ground roller

The long-tailed ground roller is a species of bird in the ground roller family Brachypteraciidae, placed in the monotypic genus Uratelornis. Endemic to arid spiny forests near the coast in southwestern Madagascar, this ground roller occurs at extremely low population densities throughout its habitat. This species requires shade and a deep layer of leaves on the ground, and it is absent from parts of the spiny forest lacking these features. It has no recognized subspecies, and its closest relative is the scaly ground roller. The long-tailed ground roller is the only ground roller to definitively display sexual dimorphism. It is a medium-sized bird with a plump silhouette and a long tail. The upperparts are dark brown with black streaks while the underparts are light gray. The white throat is framed by black malar stripes and a black breastband, and a white stripe is present at the base of the bill. Sky-blue feathers are visible at the edge of the wings and the tail. Calls are rarely made outside the breeding season, though multiple courtship calls are made.