Clangula hyemalis
The Long-tailed Duck, *Clangula hyemalis*, is a striking medium-sized sea duck renowned for its dramatic seasonal plumage changes and distinctive vocalizations. Males, especially in winter, boast an exceptionally long, pointed tail up to 15 cm, contrasting a predominantly white body, dark back, and a distinctive dark brown patch on the side of the head, while females are duller with a shorter tail. They measure between 38-60 cm in length, possess a wingspan of 69-80 cm, and weigh from 500 to ...
Breeds in tundra pools, small lakes, and coastal marshes of the Arctic and subarctic; winters primarily in coastal marine waters, large estuaries, and offshore pelagic environments.
Feeds predominantly on marine invertebrates such as mollusks (mussels, clams), crustaceans (amphipods, crabs), and polychaete worms, supplemented by small fish and aquatic insects or vegetation on breeding grounds.
Long-tailed Ducks are highly social outside the breeding season, forming large rafts on wintering grounds. They are expert diving birds, propelling themselves underwater using both their feet and wings, often remaining submerged for over a minute to forage on benthic organisms. Courtship displays...
The Long-tailed Duck has a vast Holarctic breeding range, encompassing the Arctic and subarctic regions of Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, and Russia. Its wintering grounds extend southward into temperate latitudes across both the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans....
Least Concern
- The Long-tailed Duck is considered the deepest-diving duck in the world, capable of reaching depths exceeding 60 meters (200 feet). - Males are one of the few duck species that undergo three distinct plumage changes annually: winter, breeding, and an eclipse plumage. - Their loud, complex, yode...