Birds of Zion National Park

The Pintail or Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) is a duck with wide geographic distribution that breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator. Unusually for a bird with such a large range, it has no geographical subspecies if the possibly conspecific duck Eaton's Pintail is considered to be a separate species.
The Northern Pintail is a bird of open wetlands which nests on the ground, often some distance from water. It feeds by dabbling for plant food and adds small invertebrates to its diet during the nesting season. It is highly gregarious when not breeding, forming large mixed flocks with other species of duck. This duck's population is affected by predators, parasites and avian diseases. Human activities, such as agriculture, hunting and fishing, have also had a significant impact on numbers. Nevertheless, the fact that this species has huge range and large population mean that it is not threatened globally.
Northern Pintails breed in shallow marshes, ponds, and lakes, primarily those surrounded by prairie or tundra. During the winter, this species may be found in freshwater or saltwater wetland habitats, including lakes, marshes, and estuaries. Northern Pintails eat a variety of plant and animal foods, including seeds, aquatic plants, insects, and other small invertebrates. Northern Pintails may be seen swimming on small to medium-sized bodies of water, where they may be observed foraging for food. This species may also be observed taking off straight up from the water or undertaking straight, swift flights on migration or between breeding or foraging grounds. Northern Pintails are most active during the day.
Both sexes reach sexual maturity at one year of age. The male mates with the female by swimming close to her with his head lowered and tail raised, continually whistling. If there is a group of males, they will chase the female in flight until only one drake is left. The female prepares for copulation, which takes place in the water, by lowering her body; the male then bobs his head up and down and mounts the female, taking the feathers on the back of her head in his mouth. After mating, he raises his head and back and whistles.[11]
Northern pintails are surface feeders. They generally feed in shallow
waters of marshes, ponds, and wet meadows or grain fields. They mainly
consume seeds, roots, and leaves of aquatic plants, emergents, and many
terrestrial plants [10,14]. Plants commonly eaten by northern pintails
include pondweeds (Potamogeton spp.), sedges (Carex spp.), smartweed
(Polygonum spp.), fall panicum (Panicum dichotomiflorus), brownseed
paspalum (Paspalum plicatulum), panic grass (Panicum spp.), bulrush,
widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima), chufa (Cyperus spp.), and saltgrass
(Distichlis spp.) [1,3]. Northern pintails eat the grains of wheat,
barley, corn, rice, and oats. On their wintering grounds in Texas,
northern pintails make extensive use of barley and rice grains [1].
Northern pintails also eat a small amount of animal matter such as
minnows, crawfish, fairly shrimp, tadpoles, leeches, worms, snails,
insects, and larvae [3,14,18]. less ↑

The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is a goose with a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body. Native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, it also occasionally migrates to northern Europe, and has been introduced to Britain, New Zealand, and other temperate regions.
This goose feeds on aquatic vegetation and grasses. It has become an agricultural pest in some areas where it moves from water bodies to fields in order to feed (3). Although often aggressive, this goose is gregarious, occurring in flocks during winter and breeding colonially on larger water bodies (5). The nest, a down-lined scrape, is typically situated among vegetation (5). During early April between 5 and 6 (up to 11) white eggs are laid. The female incubates the eggs for 28-30 days, while the male guards the nest close-by (5). Both sexes care for the young, which fledge after around 9 weeks, and stay with the parents throughout the winter (5).
This species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a variety of habitats. The Great Lakes region maintains a very large population of Canada Geese. Canada Geese occur year-round in the southern part of their breeding range, including most of the eastern seaboard and the Pacific coast. Between California and South Carolina in the southern United States and northern Mexico, Canada Geese are primarily present as migrants from further north during the winter.[13]

By the early 20th century, over-hunting and loss of habitat in the late 19th century and early 20th century had resulted in a serious decline in the numbers of this bird in its native range. The Giant Canada Goose subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s until, in 1962, a small flock was discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota, by Harold Hanson of the Illinois Natural History Survey.[14] In 1964, the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center was built near Jamestown. Its first director, Harvey K. Nelson, talked Forrest Lee into leaving Minnesota. Forrest Lee would head the center’s Canada Goose production and restoration program. Forrest soon had 64 pens with 64 breeding pairs of screened, high-quality birds. The project involved private, state and federal resources and relied on the expertise and cooperation of many individuals. By the end of 1981, more than 6,000 giant Canada Geese had been released at 83 sites in 26 counties in North Dakota.[15] With improved game laws and habitat recreation and preservation programs, their populations have recovered in most of their range, although some local populations, especially of the subspecies occidentalis, may still be declining.[citation needed]
When on land, Canada geese eat a variety of grasses including Bermuda grass, salt grass, and wild barley. Geese are able to grab hold of each blade and pull it out with their bills by jerking their heads. They also eat wheat, beans, rice, and corn. In the water, the birds stick their head and upper part of their body into the water leaving their tail and back end extending in the air. They stretch their neck out, under the water, and slide their bills across the bottom silt. They also eat a number of aquatic plants such as eel grass, sea lettuce, and sago. less ↑

The Gadwall (Anas strepera) is a common and widespread duck of the family Anatidae.
In summer, the Gadwall breeds primarily in wetlands surrounded by grasslands or prairie. In winter, Gadwalls frequent small ponds as well as freshwater and saltwater marshes. Gadwalls feed on aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates in the water column. Gadwalls may be seen either on land or in the water, where they may be observed foraging for food. This species may also be observed taking off straight up from the water or undertaking straight, swift flights on migration or between breeding or foraging grounds. Gadwalls are most active during the day.
The Gadwall is a quieter duck, except during its courtship display. Females give a call similar to the quack of a female Mallard but higher-pitched, transcribed as gag-ag-ag-ag. Males give a grunt, transcribed as nheck, and a whistle.[3]
This is a fairly quiet species; the male has a hoarse whistling call, and the female has a Mallard-like quack. The young birds are fed insects at first; adults also eat some molluscs and insects during the nesting season. The Gadwall is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. less ↑