Birds and wildlife

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalisGroup: Ducks, geese and swansUK Conservation status:Red

How to identify

The Long-tailed Duck is a small, neat sea duck. They have small round heads and steep foreheads. In winter, the male is mainly white with some brownish-black markings. It also has greatly elongated tail feathers which give it its name. Females are browner. When in flight, they show their all dark wings and white bellies. They don't breed in the UK, but protection of their wintering sites is important, because they're vulnerable to oil pollution at sea. They're a winter visitor and passage migrant to the UK, most commonly from Northumberland to northern Scotland. Long-tailed Ducks are listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Call

Long-tailed Duck

Patrik Åberg / xeno-canto

Key

  1. Resident
  2. Passage
  3. Summer
  4. Winter
* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Key facts