Long-tailed Duck
(Clangula hyemalis AKA: Oldsquaw N America)

The long-tailed duck is a small, neat sea duck. They have small round heads and steep foreheads. In winter, the male is mainly white with some brownish-black markings. He also has greatly elongated tails feathers hence the name. Females are browner. In flights, they show all dark wings and white bellies. They do not breed in the UK but protection of their wintering sites is important, because they are vulnerable to oil pollution at sea. A winter visitor and passage migrant to the UK, most common from Northumberland north to northern Scotland.

The Long-tailed Duck breeds on freshwater pools, lakes and rivers, mainly within the Arctic Circle but during the winter may be seen on the sea, some distance from shore and only occasionally it will visits inland lakes and reservoirs.

The main food of this pretty duck is mussels, cockles, clams, crabs and small fish. Compared with other seaducks, long-tailed ducks are quite noisy. The males make a yodelling call throughout the year and at any time of day or night. The females make a low quacking.

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