 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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-2.21 (-3.42 - -0.947)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Northern Pintail were predominantly found in open landscapes south of the boreal forest. While not found in great abundance, they were most likely to be observed in the Mixed and Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregions, with a more patchy distribution in the Aspen Parkland and Boreal Transition. Rare throughout the boreal forest, Northern Pintail were observed as far north as Lake Athabasca, including one pair along the northeastern shoreline. The earliest nest was found on 28 May 2019, and fledged young were documented as early as 1 June 2017.
Note: During all years of the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas drought conditions persisted and the Atlas range maps for all waterfowl, waterbirds, and wetland-associated species should be viewed as characteristic of distribution and abundance during dry conditions. Read the full drought statement here.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
Among the first waterfowl to arrive in springtime, pairs of Northern Pintails are especially abundant in open grasslands and agricultural areas of southern Saskatchewan and Alberta. Occurring in North America and Eurasia, Pintails nest from Alaska across Canada into the Dakotas and Montana. Major wintering populations occur along the Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana, the Texas Playa Lakes region (when playas are flooded), and the Central and San Joaquin Valleys of California; some birds venture into Mexico.
Breeding Northern Pintails tend to settle at higher densities in areas with abundant shallow wetlands and flat to gently rolling grassland habitat (Podruzny et al. 2002, Kowalchuk 2012, J. H. Devries of DUC). In years of higher population density, however, more Northern Pintails settle in intensively cropped landscapes. Females typically raise their broods in seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands. In summers when wetland conditions are favourable, large numbers of adults moult on major wetlands and lakes across much of the region (Bollinger et al. 2011).
Distribution varies with annual wetland counts on the prairies, being most abundant during wet cycles but moving north during prairie drought. Northern Pintail populations reached all-time highs during the 1970s, declined during the 1980s, and never recovered to 1970s levels despite excessively wet conditions on the prairies during the mid-1990s and in 2010 (Whitrock et al. 2011).
Original text by Robert G. Clark. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Northern Pintail in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Northern Pintail in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=NOPI&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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