Long-tailed Ducks show a bewildering variety of patterns depending on their age, their sex and the time of year but they are invariably a mixture of black, white and brown, usually white on the flanks and face. They are small birds with small heads and small bills. In flight they show uniquely all-dark wings but with long white 'shoulder blades'. They characteristically land at sea with an unceremonious belly-flop.

Breeds by moorland pools and lakes. Winters in bays, estuaries and occasionally on inland lakes.

A winter visitor between October to April, mainly to the east coast of Scotland, the Orkneys and Shetland. Can be found in smaller localised numbers off the Hebrides and east England. The largest numbers are in the Moray Firth where an incredible 12 000 birds winter.

Breeds in much of Iceland, Norway and mountainous parts of Sweden such as Abisko and winters in coastal areas around the North Sea and the Baltic. Wintering birds can be seen, mostly at sea, from several sites in Scotland, England, Holland and the Baltic countries and large concentrations occur in the Norwegian fjords eg. up to 7 500 in Balsfjord just south of Tromso. Three areas in the baltic (the Gulf of Pommern, the Gulf of Riga and Hobergs Bank) hold a total of a million wintering birds.

©BirdGuides 1999