Game Birds of the World

Small flocks appear to be the usual rule in this Central and South American species, with a few observations of flock sizes numbering more than 100 birds. The birds usually are found alone, but at times also associate with brown pintails, whose foraging behavior and preferred foods must doubtless be similar.

Few nests of these pintails have been found in the wild, but in the Bahamas the birds have been reported to nest in thickets of mangroves, with the eggs being placed in a simple nest among their roots. Breeding in Trinidad and Tobago occurs from August to November, and in Surinam breeding records extend from May to October. Apparently the greater subspecies nests in the austral spring in the southern parts of its range, specifically October and November, while the Galapagos population is said to have a more extensive nesting period, probably lasting from October until July. The usual clutch size is from 6–10 eggs, and the incubation period is 25 days.