Wood Duck vs Mandarin Duck
Aix sponsa compared with Aix galericulata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Wood Duck | Mandarin Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aix sponsa | Aix galericulata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 44.1 cm (17.4 in) | 70.0 cm (27.6 in) |
| Weight | 691.75 g (24.40 oz) | 570.0 g (20.11 oz) |
| Diet | Dabbles for seeds and aquatic invertebrates; diet shifts between plant matter and invertebrates seasonally in … | Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and … |
| Clutch Size | 9-15 | 7-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Wood Duck
Wooded swamps, beaver ponds, forested river margins, and tree-lined lakes in eastern and western North America. Nests in tree cavities up to 15m high. Readily uses nest boxes. Winters on wooded freshwater wetlands.
Mandarin Duck
Wooded lakes, rivers, and ponds surrounded by dense forest. Unlike most ducks, regularly perches in trees and nests in tree cavities.
Song & Call Comparison
Wood Duck
Male gives a loud, rising 'jeeee' whistle; female gives a soft, nasal 'oo-eek'. One of North America's most beautiful ducks; its call matches its spectacular appearance.
Mandarin Duck
Male gives a low whistled 'hib' or 'weep'. Female utters a soft quacking 'kek'. Generally quiet and secretive. No loud territorial song; vocalizations subtle and brief.
Geographic Range & Migration
Wood Duck
Breeds in Eurasia; winters across tropical and southern Africa, the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia.
Mandarin Duck
Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Wood Duck
Mandarin Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Wood Duck
Males iridescent green and purple-crested head with white throat patches and facial stripes. Chestnut breast, buffy flanks, dark back. Red eye and bill. Females gray-brown with white eye-ring teardrop. Spectacular …
Mandarin Duck
Breeding males have an elaborate pattern of orange, green, white, and purple with distinctive orange sail feathers on the back. Females are grey-brown with a white eye-ring and stripe.
Small red bill in breeding males, pinkish in females
About These Birds
Wood Duck
One of North America's most ornate ducks; males have an iridescent green-and-purple crested head, complex face patterning, chestnut breast, and colorful bill. Females are elegantly marked in brown and grey. Nests in tree cavities along forested waterways. Recovered strongly from near-extinction after 1918 legal protection.
Mandarin Duck
The mandarin duck is widely considered the most beautiful duck in the world. In East Asian culture, mandarin ducks symbolize love and fidelity because they form strong pair bonds. Unlike most ducks, mandarins nest in tree holes up to 9 meters above the ground, and day-old ducklings must leap to the ground.