How to identify it
Very different summer and winter plumages. [1]
Adult male has a long, pointed tail and a strikingly contrasting pattern. [1]
Females and young males are paler with less contrast, a squarish head and a stubby bill. [1]
All plumages show solidly dark wings in flight. [1]
Compared with the northern pintail: Audubon notes the male long-tailed duck should be compared with the pintail; the long-tailed duck is a diving sea duck with solidly dark wings in all plumages. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Harlequin duck · Histrionicus histrionicus
- Black scoter · Melanitta americana
- Northern pintail · Anas acuta
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify Long-tailed duck from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Breeds on low tundra, hilly barren ground and the edges of northern forest near open water. Winters mainly on the ocean, including far offshore among pack ice, and on the Great Lakes and other large fresh waters. [1]
How it behaves
Far more vocal than most ducks; flocks give loud, melodious calls heard at a distance, the male's courtship call a repeated 'ow-owdle-ow'. [1]
Flocks fly low over the sea with stiff, shallow wingbeats, often tilting from side to side. [1]
Dives from the surface propelled mainly by its feet; most feeding is within about 9 m (30 ft) of the surface. [1]
Migrates late in fall and early in spring, often in flocks of hundreds, many following coastlines. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- British Columbia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Canada (federal migratory birds) — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 (SOR/2022-105), Schedule Parts 7-13 (MB, SK, AB, BC, NT, YT, NU)
- New Brunswick — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 4 (New Brunswick) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Newfoundland and Labrador — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 1 (Newfoundland and Labrador) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Nova Scotia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 3 (Nova Scotia) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Ontario — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 6 (Ontario) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Prince Edward Island — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 2 (Prince Edward Island) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Québec — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 5 (Quebec) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Saskatchewan — migratory bird hunting · Saskatchewan Hunters Guide 2026-27
- Alabama — migratory bird hunting · Waterfowl Seasons 2026-2027 (ADCNR)
- Alaska — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Alaska Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations
- Arkansas — migratory bird hunting · Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules & Regulations (2026-27)
- Colorado — migratory bird hunting · 2 CCR 406-5 Chapter W-5 Migratory Birds (03/04/2026; eff. 2026-05-01)
- Connecticut — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 CT Migratory Bird Hunting Guide
- Delaware — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits
- Georgia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Season Dates - Migratory Birds (WRD 1-page synopsis, linked from georgiawildlife.com/migratory-bird-info)
- Idaho — migratory bird hunting · Idaho Migratory Game Bird 2026-2027 Seasons & Rules
- Illinois — migratory bird hunting · Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-2027 (PDF read from cached copy of the digest linked on this page)
- Iowa — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Iowa Hunting, Trapping & Migratory Game Bird Regulations (DNR PDF; page numbers cited)
- Kansas — migratory bird hunting · Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, Fall 2025-Spring 2026
- Kentucky — migratory bird hunting · Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, August 2026-March 2027
- Maine — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maine Migratory Game Bird Quick Reference Guide
- Maryland — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping (official guide, linked from dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide)
- Minnesota — migratory bird hunting · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Mississippi — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Gamebird Digest 2026-27 (MDWFP)
- Missouri — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest 2026-2027 (cached PDF from MDC regulations page)
- Nebraska — migratory bird hunting · Small Game & Waterfowl Guide 2025-2026
- New Hampshire — migratory bird hunting · Fis 300 Wildlife Seasons and Rules
- North Carolina — migratory bird hunting · Proclamation: 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons (NCWRC)
- North Dakota — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Small Game, Waterfowl and Furbearer Proclamation
- Ohio — migratory bird hunting · Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27 (effective 1 Sep 2026-31 Aug 2027); PDF read from cached copy
- Pennsylvania — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits
- Rhode Island — migratory bird hunting · Hunting and Trapping Regulations (250-RICR-60-00-9)
- South Carolina — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide
- South Dakota — migratory bird hunting · 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook
- Tennessee — migratory bird hunting · Summary of Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Seasons Dates | TWRA
- Utah — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
- Vermont — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Vermont Migratory Bird Hunting Syllabus
- Virginia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Game Bird Regulations | Virginia DWR
- West Virginia — migratory bird hunting · West Virginia Migratory Game Bird Regulations Sept 2026-Jan 2027
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Breeds in Arctic Alaska and northern Canada; winters on northern waters such as the Bering Sea, Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes, and along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, with scattered inland records across the United States.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society