Bahama White-cheeked Pintail by Val Lee
White-cheeked Pintails are native of West Indies and South America, and an occasional visitor to southern Florida. They can be viewed near rivers, lakes, and ponds as well as costal marshes and rocky or sandy seashores.
They are a dabbling duck, also classified as a diving duck, which generally feed on invertebrates—brine shrimp, scuds, aquatic nematodes, midge larvae, etc. They also consume seeds of wigeon grass, foxtail grass, panic grass, and wild millet.
Foods are filtered through their remarkably created beak from a pond or lake bottom by “dabbling” (tipping so their tails go up and their heads submerge) which allows them to feed with the head-under posture in shallow water.
Courtship is most frequent and intense during winter and early spring. Typically, 2-10 males surround 1-4 gals on the water and perform courtship burps and down-ups to impress the ladies. Pair courtship displays include head pumping, belly preening, preening behind the wing and mutual drinking. Most Bahama Pintails are monogamous (created to mate for life through God’s design). Their nests are formed on dry land being concealed under a clump of vegetation, sometimes a great distance from water. Hens lay between 5 to 12 light tan eggs. Young birds take to the sky when 45-60 days old.
We must be eternally grateful for the abundance of creativity God designed for our observing eyes; Colossians chapter 1 in the Bible. When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, we enjoy these wonders with far our more joy and appreciation.
Pintail by Val Lee
* Info gathered from various websites
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