The pintail is the only ground duck with a distinct pointed tail that stands out instantly as an arrow or spear high in flight. In the wheatear, it is much longer than in the duck. It has a slender neck and is the slimmest terrestrial duck. both are not so conspicuous because of the coloring because it is more or less speckled gray. The woerd is very finely marked and has drooping shoulder feathers.The separation between the chocolate brown of head and neck versus the white throat, neck and breast are very finely marked. The flight is very fast and usually very high. The bird is shy and jumps immediately.
The pintail is a sea-dispersed bird in the northern hemisphere and a common breeding bird in some regions. It usually grounds in shallow water.