Northern Pintail

Two Northern Pintails swimming in water with small ripples around,
Northern Pintail, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Cross Timbers Trail footbridge, Fort Worth, TX, December 24, 2021
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-640; f/7.1; 1/2000 sec.

This page is for the Northern Pintail (Anas acuta). This species is fairly common in the fall and winter in the Fort Worth area. I was excited when they started showing up as I think they are one of the best looking ducks. The December 11, 2021 photo is my first photographic evidence of this duck. The best photograph I have taken of the Northern Pintail to date (above) was from December 24, 2021 at the Fort Worth Nature Preserve, Fort Worth, TX. I also really like the December 31 , 2021 photograph of several taking flight from the water.

The following photographs are the best representative images from different dates and locations than my species representative example.

Four Northern Pintails flying overhead.
Northern Pintail, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Marsh Boardwalk, Fort Worth, TX, December 11, 2021
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-400; f/7.1; 1/2500 sec.
Eight Northern Pintails taking off from the water. Several ducks are in the background.
Northern Pintail, Cement Creek Reservoir, Fort Worth, TX, December 31, 2021
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-2000; f/7.1; 1/500 sec.
Two Northern Pintails swimming in water with small branches sticking out of the water.
Northern Pintail, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Cross Timbers Trail footbridge, Fort Worth, TX, January 2, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-320; f/6.3; 1/640 sec.
Several Northern Pintails swimming in an open area of water with some Mallards. Grasses and tree branches are nearby on the shore.
Northern Pintails, Village Creek, Arlington, TX, January 17, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-500; f/6.3; 1/800 sec.
Pintail swimming alone among the ripples on the water.
Northern Pintail, Hagerman NWR, Sherman, TX, September 10, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-320; f/10; 1/640 sec.
A flock of 23 Northern Pintails flying overhead against a blue sky.
Northern Pintail, Bitter Lake NWR, Roswell, NM, November 9, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-200; f/10; 1/800 sec. -0.7 exposure bias.
Northern Pintail flying nearby with a low hillside in the distance.
Northern Pintail, Bitter Lake NWR, Roswell, NM, November 9, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-400; f/11; 1/800 sec. +0.3 exposure bias.
About 50 Northern Pintail ducks flying near the water near the far shore.
Northern Pintail, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, January 2, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-1000; f/10; 1/500 sec.
About 50 Northern Pintail ducks landing on the water near the far shore.
Northern Pintail, North Holiday Park, Benbrook, TX, January 2, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-500; f/10; 1/500 sec.
Over two dozen Norther Pintails swimming in the pond.
Northern Pintail, Hagerman NWR, Sherman, TX, December 26, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-500; f/11; 1/500 sec.
Three Norther Pintails feeding among the grasses in a small, flooded pond.
Northern Pintail, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA, January 11, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-640; f/11; 1/800 sec.