Northern Pintails | and their Unique Migratory Traits
#intothewildwithrufus
Pulicat Lake | Brackish Waters | Greyhounds of the Air | Endurance Marathoners | True Nomads of the Sky
Yesterday, a few of us had the opportunity to visit the famous Pulicat Lake – in high renown as the second-largest brackish water lagoon in India (after Chilika Lake in Odisha).
Every year, during the birding season - that begins in November, one can have blissful sightings of a host of migratory birds that adorn this lovely brackish paradise.
One such migratory species is the Northern Pintail.
We were absolutely awestruck to see (with Wordsworth) ‘ten-thousand at a glance,’ gracefully adorning this grand Central Asian Flyway across Chennai and Tirupathi.
The Northern Pintail gets its name from its long, thin, and pointed central tail feathers - its “pin-tail” – a key source of identification for birdwatchers.
These feathers are much longer than the rest of the tail, giving the bird a ‘pin-like’ or pointed appearance from behind.
It is called ‘Northern’ to distinguish it from other pintail species (like the White-cheeked Pintail) and because it breeds throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere, including Alaska, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
The Northern Pintails have got a very interesting nickname – “Greyhounds of the Air,” and much akin to the dog breed, these ducks are built for three things: speed, slimness, and stamina.
My ultimate reference source for these ‘greyhounds of the air’ is this lovely book titled, The North American Perching and Dabbling Ducks: Their Biology and Behavior by Paul A. Johnsgard, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska.
The book has 230 pages of vital information on an assemblage of duck species - such as mallards, wigeons, pintails, and teal.
But for this post’s sake – Pintails, ladies and gentlemen! Northern Pintails!....
Here goes snippets from the book for us all -
When on the water, males exhibit more white than any other dabbling duck; their white breasts and necks can be seen for a half mile or more.
When closer, the dark brown head, often appearing almost blackish, is apparent, as are the grayish flanks, separated from the black under tail-coverts by a white patch on the sides of the rump.
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| An Adult Pair of Northern Pintails |
Females are somewhat smaller, mostly brownish ducks, with a dark bill that shows no trace of yellow or orange! During winter and early spring, males spend much time in courtship display.
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| The Male Northern Pintail |
The average annual hunter-kill estimate in the United States during the five years 2004–08 was about 442,000. Estimated total annual Canadian kills from 1990 to 1998 ranged from about 33,000 to 72,000. The estimated total US pintail kill was 471,000 in 2014, and in Canada was 22,000,
says the book.
However, one little shortcoming that I found in the book is that, while the book focusses on North American waterfowl, it doesn’t discuss the bustling beehive of activity involving the Northern Pintails in India.
This gap is addressed by yet another lovely book titled, Bird Migration Across the Himalayas: Wetland Functioning Amidst Mountains and Glaciers edited by Herbert H.T. Prins and Tsewang Namgail of the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust, India.
It says -
The species is widespread in Asia, with an estimated population of 1 million in South Asia, say the authors.
During the Bird Ringing Project of 1998, 4050 Northern Pintails were ringed in India, of which 157 were recovered, mostly from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and western China, it adds.
The Northern Pintails are often called, “Endurance Marathoners.” They are true “nomads of the sky,” often migrating at night. A single pintail was once recorded flying 1,800 miles nonstop across the Pacific. This combination of “racing” speed and “marathon” distance makes them the ultimate athletes of the waterfowl world.
Now, let’s move on to the regional specifics of this lovely lagoon!
Why is the Pulicat Lake called brackish water lagoon?
Well, the term ‘brackish water lagoon’ would connote to mean a coastal body of water where fresh water meets and mixes with salt water.
The mix occurs where rivers like the Arani and Kalangi mix with the salt water entering from the Bay of Bengal.
This ‘patchwork heritage’ or this ‘in-between’ness results in an incredibly productive ecosystem in an around this zone! In fact, it is this diversity that attracts thousands of migratory birds, such as the Northern Pintails and Flamingos, every winter.
So where pray, is the Pulicat Lake?
It straddles the border of two Indian states - Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. About 84–96% of the lagoon lies in Andhra Pradesh (Tirupati/Nellore district), while the remaining portion is in Tamil Nadu (Thiruvallur district).
The lagoon is separated from the Bay of Bengal by the long, spindle-shaped Sriharikota Island – the Barrier Island – which acts as a barrier and as a natural buffer against cyclones and storm surges.
How do we get there?
Pulicat Lake is approximately 80 km north of Chennai. A cab aggregator would take anywhere around 1.5 to 2 hours to take you to Pulicat Lake. However, if you are going for birdwatching, it is best to leave as early as 5:00 AM to reach the lake by sunrise.
And wait! Don’t forget the Flamingo Fest at Pulicat Lake on 10, 11 January 2026.
Here’s wishing y’all happy pintailing!
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