Maned Duck vs Mallard
Chenonetta jubata compared with Anas platyrhynchos
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Maned Duck | Mallard |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chenonetta jubata | Anas platyrhynchos |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 58.0 cm (22.8 in) |
| Wingspan | 51.8 cm (20.4 in) | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) |
| Weight | 825.25 g (29.11 oz) | 1100.0 g (38.80 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; broadly omnivorous diet shifts with … | Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … |
| Clutch Size | 8-11 | 4-18 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Maned Duck
Open woodland, grassland, parks, golf courses, and farmland near water across most of Australia. Nests in tree hollows up to 30m high. Grazes terrestrially. Highly adaptable to modified and urban environments.
Mallard
Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.
Song & Call Comparison
Maned Duck
Male utters soft, goose-like honking notes; female gives a harsh, repeated quacking rattle. Alarm call is a loud, abrupt nasal honk carrying over open water.
Mallard
Female gives the classic 'quack-quack-quack', descending in pitch. Male utters soft nasal 'raeb-raeb'. Both give a high 'gag-gag-gag' when alarmed or taking flight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Maned Duck
Found in wetlands of East Africa; largely sedentary with some local seasonal movements following water availability.
Mallard
Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Conservation Status
Maned Duck
Mallard
How to Tell Them Apart
Maned Duck
Males have brownish head with short dark mane; gray body with fine vermiculations and chestnut breast spots. Females brown with white supercilium and white chin. Both show white speculum in …
Mallard
Breeding males have an iridescent green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, and grey body. Females are mottled brown. Both sexes show a blue speculum bordered by white.
Broad, flat bill — yellow-green in males, orange-brown in females
About These Birds
Maned Duck
An elegant medium-sized duck with a grey body, chestnut-spotted breast in males, brown head with a short mane, and short grey bill. Endemic to Australia; also called the Australian Wood Duck. Grazes on grass in open woodland and pastures near water. Highly adaptable; common in urban parks and golf courses.
Mallard
The mallard is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds and the most abundant and widespread dabbling duck in the world. Males perform elaborate courtship displays including head-bobbing and whistle-grunt calls. Mallards are highly adaptable, thriving in both wilderness and urban environments.