Long-tailed Duck

An elegant bird, smaller than the Mallard, though the distinctive long tail of the male may make it appear longer. This sea duck has a small round head and a steep forehead. When flying it has mostly dark wings and light underparts. The plumage of the sexes is dissimilar and varies depending on the season. In winter and spring the male is mostly black, grey and white with a lighter smudge around his eye and a pink patch on his bill. In summer his back is streaky brown, his bill is darker and his belly and flanks are white. Only the adult male has the species' characteristic long central tail feathers. In winter the female has a white band around her neck, a white face and darker areas on her crown and lower cheeks. She has a rich-brown breast-band. Her face grows darker in the summer with a pale smudge around her eye. Juveniles are similar to the adult female in summer, though the patterns on their face are less distinctive.