White-cheeked Pintail
Anas bahamensis
Facts
- White cheeked Pintail are about 16-19 in long.
- They mate during seasons of heavy rain fall , February to June in the Bahamas.
- White cheeked Pintail travel in flocks of approximately ten or twelve .
- The male of the species has a low voice and makes a squeaky whistling.
- Females give a series of low quacks.
- Tail and wings are long and pointed.
- Females tend to be slightly smaller than the male and are less brightly colored.
- A few male White-Cheeked Pintails are able to pair with two females for the breeding season instead of the usual one.
Wing Span
Approximately 23-26 in.
Feeds
By dabbling and up-ending its body into the water, to reach deeper food.
Breeding
Nesting
The white-cheeked pintail bonds are formed soon after the post-breeding molt. Breeding season is from February to June, but varies depending upon rainfall and availability of invertebrates. Nests are made of a scrape on dry land concealed under a clump of vegetation lined with grasses and down, sometimes far from water.
The female incubates the eggs alone and tends to the young after hatching.The males escort and defend their mates and territories during the early part of the nesting season, but usually abandon them in late incubation and move to a safe area for the wing molt. Males sometimes will escort their mate and brood, but females provides care for the young.