Ringed Teal vs Mandarin Duck
Callonetta leucophrys compared with Aix galericulata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ringed Teal | Mandarin Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Callonetta leucophrys | Aix galericulata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) | 70.0 cm (27.6 in) |
| Weight | 345.0 g (12.17 oz) | 570.0 g (20.11 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, plant material, and aquatic invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … | Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and … |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 7-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Ringed Teal
Subtropical forests, gallery woodlands, and wooded wetland margins in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. Nests in tree hollows near water. Requires forested streams and rivers.
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
Ringed Teal
Male utters a soft, high-pitched squeak; female gives a low, grunting kow note. Courtship involves quiet twittering exchanges between pairs in South American gallery forests.
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
Ringed Teal
Breeds in the southern Palearctic from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Asia; winters mainly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Mandarin Duck
Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Ringed Teal
Mandarin Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Ringed Teal
Males have gray head with black crown; pink breast with black spots; chestnut back; buff-white flanks with fine barring. White facial blaze. Females brown with pale supercilium and white spots …
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
Ringed Teal
A small ornate teal. Males have a pink-chestnut breast, grey flanks, and grey-brown back with dark green speculum; females are brown with distinctive white eye-ring and spotted flanks. Found in subtropical forests of South America. Nests in tree cavities. Perches and roosts in trees.
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.