Facts about Long-tailed Duck

1. 06

   Anatomically, long-tailed ducks possess stiff tail feathers that can comprise up to 8 centimeters of their 53-centimeter total body length in breeding males.

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2. 05

   Females of this species lay clutches of 6 to 9 eggs in nests constructed near Arctic freshwater lakes and ponds during the brief breeding season.

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3. 04

   Long-tailed duck plumage changes dramatically between seasons, with males displaying dark heads and white breasts in winter but acquiring darker bodies and pale heads during breeding season.

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4. 03

   Arctic populations of long-tailed ducks migrate over 3,000 kilometers annually between breeding grounds in the far north and wintering areas in the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

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5. 02

   Male long-tailed ducks produce elaborate vocalizations during courtship that are among the loudest calls of any duck species, earning them the nickname "old squaw" from their distinctive sound.

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6. 01

   Depths exceeding 60 meters are regularly reached by long-tailed ducks during winter dives in Arctic waters to forage on benthic invertebrates.

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