Yellow-billed Teal vs Mandarin Duck
Anas flavirostris compared with Aix galericulata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Yellow-billed Teal | Mandarin Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas flavirostris | Aix galericulata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 38.2 cm (15.0 in) | 70.0 cm (27.6 in) |
| Weight | 609.0 g (21.48 oz) | 570.0 g (20.11 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet dominated by … | Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and … |
| Clutch Size | 5-13 | 7-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Yellow-billed Teal only
Mandarin Duck only
Yellow-billed Teal
Freshwater lakes, marshes, rivers, and bogs from sea level to 4,500 m across South America from Colombia and Venezuela south to Tierra del Fuego. Common at high-altitude Andean lakes and puna 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
Yellow-billed Teal
Male utters a high-pitched, clear whistle; female gives a soft, muffled quack. Quiet calls suit the high-altitude Andean wetlands where this teal forages in shallow freshwater.
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
Yellow-billed Teal
Breeds in northern Canada and Alaska; winters on the Atlantic coast from Labrador to South Carolina and in Chesapeake Bay.
Mandarin Duck
Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Yellow-billed Teal
Mandarin Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Yellow-billed Teal
Brownish-gray body finely mottled with dark spots. Diagnostic bright yellow bill with dark culmen stripe. Speculum iridescent green. Head grayish-brown, slightly darker crown. Sexes similar. Andean and Patagonian lakes.
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
Yellow-billed Teal
A small brown teal with a distinctive bright yellow bill, dark crown, green speculum with white borders, and orange legs. Widespread in South American highland and lowland wetlands. One of the most common ducks in the Andes. Gregarious; forms large flocks outside breeding season.
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.