Bienenfresser vs Mandarinente

Merops apiaster verglichen mit Aix galericulata

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Bienenfresser Mandarinente
Wissenschaftlicher Name Merops apiaster Aix galericulata
Ordnung Coraciiformes Anseriformes
Familie Meropidae Anatidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge 28,0 cm (11.0 in) 44,0 cm (17.3 in)
Flügelspannweite 38,0 cm (15.0 in) 70,0 cm (27.6 in)
Gewicht 56,0 g (1.98 oz) 570,0 g (20.11 oz)
Ernährung Primarily bees, wasps, and hornets caught in flight. Removes stingers by beating prey against a … Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and …
Gelegegröße 4-10 7-14
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Bienenfresser 28,0 cm
Mandarinente 44,0 cm
Flügelspannweite
Bienenfresser 38,0 cm
Mandarinente 70,0 cm
Gewicht
Bienenfresser 56,0 g
Mandarinente 570,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

Bienenfresser only

Mandarinente only

Bienenfresser

Open country with scattered trees, sandy banks, and river cliffs for nesting. Breeds in colonies in tunnels dug into earth banks.

Mandarinente

Wooded lakes, rivers, and ponds surrounded by dense forest. Unlike most ducks, regularly perches in trees and nests in tree cavities.

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Song & Call Comparison

Bienenfresser

Gesang

A liquid, melodic 'pruik-pruik' or rolling 'prruup-pruup' in flight. Flocks give a distinctive far-carrying bubbling call audible before birds are seen. Considered a pleasant sound.

Mandarinente

Gesang

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.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Bienenfresser

Southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Winters in tropical Africa. A long-distance migrant.

Mandarinente

Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.

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Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Bienenfresser

Least Concern

Mandarinente

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How to Tell Them Apart

Bienenfresser

Gefieder

Richly colored with a chestnut-brown crown and back, golden-yellow scapulars, turquoise-blue underparts, and a black eye stripe. Central tail feathers are elongated.

Schnabel

Long, slender, slightly decurved black bill

Mandarinente

Gefieder

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.

Schnabel

Small red bill in breeding males, pinkish in females

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About These Birds

Bienenfresser

Der Bienenfresser gehört zu den farbenprächtigsten Vögeln Europas und zeigt ein Farbspiel aus Kastanienbraun, Gold und Türkis. Seinem Namen gerecht werdend, hat sich der Bienenfresser auf den Fang giftiger Insekten spezialisiert und entfernt geschickt den Stachel vor dem Verzehr. Er brütet in Kolonien und gräbt bis zu zwei Meter lange Bruthöhlen in sandige Steilufer.

Mandarinente

Die Mandarinente gilt weithin als die schönste Ente der Welt. In der ostasiatischen Kultur symbolisiert sie Liebe und Treue, da sie feste Paarbindungen eingeht. Anders als die meisten Enten nistet die Mandarinente in Baumhöhlen bis zu 9 Meter über dem Boden, sodass die erst einen Tag alten Küken zu Boden springen müssen.

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