Northern Pintails at the Riparian preserve, Gilbert, AZ

Northern Pintails, Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

The Riparian Preserve at water Ranch in Gilbert were abound with Northern Pintails (Above) during my only two visits which were only two days apart. The first time I identified a Northern Pintail was last Fall at the Lincoln Park ponds in Chicago, IL. But the pair of Pintails I saw were hidden in the brush and were napping so I didn't get clear photos of them. So I was quite pleased to see hundreds of these beautiful ducks scattered throughout several ponds at the Riparian Preserve.

This female Northern Pintail was feeding off the surface of the lake which precedes the entrance of the Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/24/2011.

This pair of of male Northern Pintails and a female enjoy the freshwater ponds at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

They were easy to pick out among the hundreds of waterfowl, with their long slender necks with the white throats and dark brown heads. Also at 21" long, they were one of the larger birds mixed in with the smaller Green-winged Teals (14") and American Coots (15 1/2"). Northern Pintails are common in freshwater ponds and marshes throughout much of the North America. Summers in the northern Midwest and Western states and all of Canada. Winters they can be found in nearly the complete southern half of the U.S. amd most of Mexico.