General Description: Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis) are sexually dimorphic sea ducks. Males are black and white with extremely long, black tail feathers and unusually long feathers on the back. During summer, males are mostly black with some white on the face; but during winter, they are mostly white with some black on the face.

Similarly, females are mostly dark during summer and mostly white during winter. During summer, they also have a white line from the back of the eye to the side of the neck.

Taxonomy: Anseriformes, Anatidae, Anatinae

Favored Habitat: Arctic marshes during summer, coastal areas and large lakes during winter.

Where to Find: Don't look for Long-tailed Ducks around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them in the arctic during the breeding season or on the northern coasts of North America during winter. However, it is always worth keeping an eye out for them, as one showed up on the duck pond at Sunset Park (of all places) during January 2009.

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