Mallard vs Scaly-sided Merganser
Anas platyrhynchos compared with Mergus squamatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mallard | Scaly-sided Merganser |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas platyrhynchos | Mergus squamatus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | 58.0 cm (22.8 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 51.2 cm (20.2 in) |
| Weight | 1100.0 g (38.80 oz) | 1145.8 g (40.42 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … | Dives for fish in fast-flowing East Asian rivers. Endangered; highly piscivorous with serrated bill adapted … |
| Clutch Size | 4-18 | 4-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Mallard
Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Scaly-sided Merganser
Male gives a quiet, low grunting call; female produces a guttural, croaking series. Endangered; calls are poorly known; similar to Red-breasted Merganser but quieter in Manchurian forest rivers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Mallard
Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Scaly-sided Merganser
Breeds in southern Russia, northern China, and the Russian Far East. Winters in southern China and Korea. Found on fast-flowing forested rivers.
Conservation Status
Mallard
Scaly-sided Merganser
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Scaly-sided Merganser
Male has iridescent dark green head with long flat crest, white body with distinctive black scaly pattern on flanks, and black back with white patches. Female has brownish-red crested head …
About These Birds
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.
Scaly-sided Merganser
A medium-large merganser (~1.1 kg) in family Anatidae, distinguished by scaly flank patterning and a shaggy crest. Breeds along fast, clear rivers in old-growth forests of far eastern Russia and China; winters in rivers of East and Southeast Asia. Feeds on fish. Endangered due to deforestation, river pollution, and human disturbance of nesting sites.