Trivia question for Sep-13-2011

Carter was amazed at the sheer numbers of these birds so he picked them for his trivia.  These are the most widely distributed duck in the North America; one of the most numerous ducks in the world.

These guys average over 100 miles per day on long migratory flights that often exceed 2,000 miles.  This duck’s population is affected by predators, parasites and avian diseases. Human activities, such as agriculture, hunting and fishing, have also had a significant impact on numbers. Nevertheless, this species’ huge range and large population mean that it is not threatened globally.

So here are Carter’s questions:  Tell us what kind of duck this is how they got their name?  Also, each year, many of these birds succumb to lead poisoning.  Tell us how that is possible?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations goes out to Jen Dowdy from Kentucky for naming the duck we featured and to Angela Williams for clarifying how these guys got their name. The bird we featured is the Northern Pintail. The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator.

This is a fairly large duck, with a long pointed tail that gives rise to the species’ English and scientific names. The Northern Pintail’s many names describe the male’s two long black tail feathers, which in flight look like a single pin or twig (thus, the nickname sprig). These feathers are very distinctive, accounting for a quarter of the total length of the drake when in full plumage.  When foraging for seeds in the water, the pintail may accidentally ingest spent lead shots from hunters; many pintail succumb to lead poisoning each year.  Here is more on the abundant ducks: Northern Pintail

Thanks for playing along 😉