Long-tailed Duck

LONG-TAILED DUCK - IUCN Conservation Status: VULNERABLE

These ducks are able to dive deeper than any other ducks!

This duck’s name fits the bill. As you can see in this photo, the long-tailed duck does indeed have a long tail. In fact, the tail can reach about six inches long. What else makes this duck so unique? Long-tailed ducks are the only ducks that use their wings to dive. Because of this, long-tailed ducks are able to dive deeper than other ducks. According to the Audubon Society, long-tailed ducks can dive to hundreds of feet deep! Excellent swimmers make excellent hunters. Long-tailed ducks eat a variety of things including fish, crustaceans, mussels, clams, isopods, fish eggs, grasses, and even some aquatic insects.

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These ducks will lay between five to eleven olive colored eggs. The female will leave her nest to get food. When she does, she covers her eggs with down to keep them warm and out of sight. These ducks are able to swim and dive proficiently, even when they are very young. They even feed for themselves, even though mom is usually close by. It takes these baby ducks a little over a month before they fly for the first time.

I took this photo this past winter near Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts. Although they are known to form large flocks in the winter, this long-tailed duck was alone when I came across him. I believe it to be a male long-tail duck because in the winter the males are supposed to have a dark patch on their cheek, with a mostly white head and neck.

Harbor Seals at Salisbury Beach

I was able to drift slowly past him using the wind, rather than paddling my kayak, which would have certainly scared him away. Fortunately, the duck didn’t feel threatened and let me float right by and take this shot. It can be tricky shooting photos while kayaking, especially in the winter. Trying to keep your hands warm and dry can be a challenge. I usually have my camera wrapped in a towel, inside of a drybag, between my legs. When I see something I want to shoot a photo of, I usually move away from it as soon as I can. I know it takes some time (and noise) to access my camera and get it ready to shoot. I don’t want to do this close to the animal, for fear of spooking it off. Once I have my camera prepared at a distance, I will get myself up current or upwind of the animal. Then I use my kayak like a sail. Positioning it so I won’t have to use my paddle. In fact, I put my paddle inside my kayak. Then I sit and drift into position, trying to remain motionless. It will surprise you how close you can get to some of these animals without disturbing them. Shooting photos on the kayak gives you opportunities you can’t get on land.

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Male long-tailed ducks have a dark patch on their cheek with a mostly white head and neck

Did you know?

The scientific name for long-tailed duck is Clangula hyemalis. In Latin “clangere” means “to resound” and “hyemalis” means “of winter”.

Long-tailed ducks begin breeding at two years old. The males use their long tails to help attract a mate.

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