Mandarin Duck vs Scaly-sided Merganser
Aix galericulata compared with Mergus squamatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mandarin Duck | Scaly-sided Merganser |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aix galericulata | Mergus squamatus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 70.0 cm (27.6 in) | 51.2 cm (20.2 in) |
| Weight | 570.0 g (20.11 oz) | 1145.8 g (40.42 oz) |
| Diet | Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and … | Dives for fish in fast-flowing East Asian rivers. Endangered; highly piscivorous with serrated bill adapted … |
| Clutch Size | 7-14 | 4-14 |
| 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.
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.
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
Mandarin Duck
Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.
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
Mandarin Duck
Scaly-sided Merganser
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
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
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.
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.