Green-winged Teal vs Mandarin Duck
Anas carolinensis compared with Aix galericulata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Green-winged Teal | Mandarin Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas carolinensis | Aix galericulata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 35.0 cm (13.8 in) | 70.0 cm (27.6 in) |
| Weight | 330.5 g (11.66 oz) | 570.0 g (20.11 oz) |
| Diet | Eats aquatic invertebrates, molluscs, and seeds; dives in shallow water; diet shifts between invertebrates and … | Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 7-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Green-winged Teal
Breeds on boreal and subarctic wetlands across North America. Winters on freshwater marshes, coastal estuaries, rice paddies, and shallow wetlands from the southern United States to Central America and the Caribbean.
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
Green-winged Teal
Male produces a high, clear krick call; female gives a subdued quack. Closely related to Common Teal; male's ringing call punctuates North American freshwater marshes in spring.
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
Green-winged Teal
Breeds in Arctic regions; winters at sea across the North Pacific, from Alaska to Japan and northern California.
Mandarin Duck
Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Green-winged Teal
Mandarin Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Green-winged Teal
Males have chestnut head with iridescent green eye patch; gray body; vertical white shoulder stripe (vs. horizontal in Common Teal). Cream and black undertail. Females mottled brown. Smallest North American …
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
Green-winged Teal
A small dabbling duck, the North American counterpart to Common Teal. Males have a rich chestnut head with broad metallic green eye-stripe, finely vermiculated grey body, and a distinctive white vertical breast stripe. One of North America's most abundant ducks.
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.