Long-tailed Duck Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Long-tailed Duck is a small, slender sea duck with a rounded head and a small bill. The male has long tail plumes most of the year.

  Relative Size

  Smaller than a Surf Scoter larger than a Bufflehead.

  crow-sized

  Measurements

  • Male
  • • Length: 15.8-18.5 in (40-47 cm)
    • Weight: 22.9-38.8 oz (650-1100 g)
    • Wingspan: 27.9-28.4 in (71-72 cm)
  • Female
  • • Length: 15.0-16.9 in (38-43 cm)
    • Weight: 17.6-33.5 oz (500-950 g)

  © Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Males in winter are mostly white and black: the head is white with a large dark patch on the neck. The breast and body are dark with white plumes covering the back. The bill is mostly black with a pink band. Males in summer are infrequently seen away from the Arctic, but are roughly the reverse of their winter plumage, with a dark head, neck, and body, and a white face patch. Females and young males are smudgy brown on the body with a white face, a brown crown and cheek patch, and a dark bill.

• Behavior

  Mostly seen on the water where it is a strong swimmer and an active diver. Flight is erratic and wingbeats are unusual, with deep downbeats and shallow upbeats.
• Habitat

  Breeds near arctic wetlands and winters on large lakes and the open ocean.