Laysan Duck vs Mandarin Duck
Anas laysanensis compared with Aix galericulata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Laysan Duck | Mandarin Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas laysanensis | Aix galericulata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 39.7 cm (15.6 in) | 70.0 cm (27.6 in) |
| Weight | 465.25 g (16.41 oz) | 570.0 g (20.11 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for small fish, aquatic invertebrates, and amphibians; serrated bill grips prey; diet fish-heavy in … | Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and … |
| Clutch Size | 9-13 | 7-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Laysan Duck
Restricted to Laysan Island and Midway Atoll in the Hawaiian Islands. Inhabits the central hypersaline lagoon and surrounding vegetation. Feeds on brine shrimp and flies around the lagoon margin.
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
Laysan Duck
Female gives a soft, muffled quacking series; male utters a quiet rasp. Extremely rare; the soft, unobtrusive quacking calls are seldom heard on the remote Laysan Island lagoon.
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
Laysan Duck
Resident in West Africa from Senegal to Nigeria; inhabits rainforest streams and swamps. Sedentary and locally common.
Mandarin Duck
Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Laysan Duck
Mandarin Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Laysan Duck
Brown plumage mottled and streaked buff and dark brown. White eye-ring contrasts with dark face. Both sexes similar; females show reduced white eye ring. Iridescent speculum. Critically endangered; only on …
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
Laysan Duck
A tiny brown dabbling duck with distinctive white around the eye and green speculum. The most range-restricted waterfowl in the world; endemic to Laysan Island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Critically Endangered; brought back from single digits in the early 20th century. Feeds on brine flies.
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.