Ashy-headed Goose vs Mandarin Duck
Chloephaga poliocephala compared with Aix galericulata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ashy-headed Goose | Mandarin Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chloephaga poliocephala | Aix galericulata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 69.1 cm (27.2 in) | 70.0 cm (27.6 in) |
| Weight | 1779.25 g (62.76 oz) | 570.0 g (20.11 oz) |
| Diet | Eats grasses, seeds, and aquatic invertebrates; grazes upland pastures and dabbles in wetlands; diet varies … | Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 7-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Ashy-headed Goose only
Mandarin Duck only
None
Ashy-headed Goose
Temperate forests, forest clearings, and lake margins in southern Chile and Patagonian Argentina. Partially migratory; breeds in beech forest zones and winters on open grasslands farther north.
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
Ashy-headed Goose
A whistled 'seeeeu' from males and a lower cackling from females. Ashy-headed Goose calls carry across Andean foothills and Patagonian grassland habitats.
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
Ashy-headed Goose
Inhabits wetlands and flooded grasslands across South and Southeast Asia, from India to Indonesia. Largely resident year-round.
Mandarin Duck
Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Ashy-headed Goose
Mandarin Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Ashy-headed Goose
Gray head and neck contrast with chestnut breast and rufous-barred flanks. Back brown; belly white. White wing patch in flight with iridescent green speculum. Yellow-orange legs. Sexes similar but females …
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
Ashy-headed Goose
A medium-sized sheldgoose with an ash-grey head, chestnut breast, black-and-white barred back, and bright orange legs. Found in temperate forests and grasslands of southern South America. Migratory; breeds in the south and winters northward through Chile and Argentina.
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.