Dabbling duck · Duck ID

Northern pintail

Anas acuta · Long neck, long pointed tail. Prefers open fields and water to the timber.

Drake. Photo: Basar · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Length: 20–30 in (drake's tail adds length)
Weight: 1.1–2.9 lb
Wingspan: 34 in
Group: Dabbling duck

Typical adult size. Drakes run larger than hens.

Field marks

How to identify a northern pintail

Drake

Chocolate-brown head with a white stripe running up the side of the neck, white breast, gray body and long black central tail feathers.

Hen

Slender, tan-brown and plain-faced with a long neck, a gray bill and a pointed tail.

In flight

Slim and long-necked with narrow, pointed wings. Drakes show a needle tail; hens show a white trailing edge on the speculum.

Look-alikes

Mallard: Hen mallards are chunkier with an orange bill and a blue speculum.
Gadwall: Gadwall hens have a white wing patch and an orange-edged bill.

Photos

Northern pintail gallery

Northern pintail: Hen — **Hen**Aomorikuma（あおもりくま）／あおもりくま · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Northern pintail: Drake in flight — **Drake in flight**Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Hear it

Northern pintail call

Recording: Luis Alvarez Menendez · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · original recording

2026-27 bag limits

Northern pintail limits in six Mid-South states

State	Northern pintail daily limit	Possession	Total daily ducks	Source
MississippiNov 27–29; Dec 4–6; Dec 9, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	3 a day	3 times the daily limit Not confirmed Opening-day possession wording in the Digest (check the official source)	6 ducks a day	MDWFP Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits · checked Oct 22, 2026 Mississippi rules
TennesseeNov 28–29; Dec 5, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	3 a day	3 times the daily limit, except 1 times on opening day and 2 times on the second day	6 ducks a day	TWRA Waterfowl and Migratory Birds · checked Oct 22, 2026 Tennessee rules
ArkansasNov 21–29; Dec 10–23; Dec 26, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	3 a day	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	AGFC Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026 Arkansas rules
LouisianaEast Zone Nov 21–Dec 6 and Dec 19–Jan 31; West Zone Nov 14–Dec 6 and Dec 19–Jan 24	3 a day, no more than 1 hen	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	LDWF Seasons and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026 Louisiana rules
MissouriNorth Oct 31–Dec 29; Middle Nov 7–Dec 13 and Dec 19–Jan 10; South Nov 26–29 and Dec 7–Jan 31	3 a day The Wildlife Code text printed in the digest gives pintail possession as three; the digest's limits page says possession is 3 times the daily limit. Check with MDC.	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	MDC 2026–27 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest · checked Oct 22, 2026 Missouri rules
KentuckyNov 26–29; Dec 7, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	3 a day	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	KDFWR 2026–27 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Guide · checked Oct 22, 2026 Kentucky rules

Regular-season limits from each state’s official 2026-27 regulations. Possession limits count birds at home too. Federal rules apply on top of state rules, and some WMAs and refuges set stricter limits. Louisiana and Missouri set duck seasons by zone; the dates shown are for every zone.

Mid-South