Mandarin Duck vs Falcated Duck
Aix galericulata compared with Mareca falcata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mandarin Duck | Falcated Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aix galericulata | Mareca falcata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 70.0 cm (27.6 in) | 47.7 cm (18.8 in) |
| Weight | 570.0 g (20.11 oz) | 620.5 g (21.89 oz) |
| Diet | Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and … | Eats seeds, plant material, and aquatic invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; omnivorous diet varies with … |
| Clutch Size | 7-14 | 6-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Mandarin Duck
Wooded lakes, rivers, and ponds surrounded by dense forest. Unlike most ducks, regularly perches in trees and nests in tree cavities.
Falcated Duck
Breeds along rivers and lake shores in Siberian taiga and meadows. Winters on freshwater lakes and rivers in China, Japan, and South Korea. Sensitive to hunting pressure and wetland drainage.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Falcated Duck
Male gives a soft, whistled whi-ooo note; female produces a low, grunting quack. The male's haunting whistle is one of the more melodic sounds of East Asian wetlands in winter.
Geographic Range & Migration
Mandarin Duck
Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.
Falcated Duck
Nomadic across the interior wetlands of Australia; moves widely in response to flooding and drought conditions.
Conservation Status
Mandarin Duck
Falcated Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Falcated Duck
Males have iridescent green-and-chestnut head with bushy drooping crest. Pale gray body with black and white breast band. Long, sickle-shaped tertials overhang tail. Females mottled brown. Spectacular dimorphism.
About These Birds
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.
Falcated Duck
An elegant duck. Males have a large chestnut-and-green crested head, long drooping tertial feathers, and finely vermiculated grey body. One of Asia's most beautiful ducks; declining due to hunting. Breeds in Siberia and northeastern Asia; winters in East and Southeast Asia.