Pink-eared Duck vs Mandarin Duck

Malacorhynchus membranaceus comparé à Aix galericulata

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Pink-eared Duck Mandarin Duck
Nom scientifique Malacorhynchus membranaceus Aix galericulata
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur 44,0 cm (17.3 in)
Envergure 36,7 cm (14.4 in) 70,0 cm (27.6 in)
Poids 366,25 g (12.92 oz) 570,0 g (20.11 oz)
Régime alimentaire -- Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and …
Taille de la couvée 6-8 7-14
Population Trend

Size Comparison

Body Length
Pink-eared Duck
Mandarin Duck 44,0 cm
Envergure
Pink-eared Duck 36,7 cm
Mandarin Duck 70,0 cm
Poids
Pink-eared Duck 366,25 g
Mandarin Duck 570,0 g

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Pink-eared Duck only

Aucun(e)

Mandarin Duck only

Pink-eared Duck

Ephemeral and permanent inland wetlands, flooded grasslands, and claypans across Australia. Highly nomadic, following unpredictable inland flooding. Most common in the Murray-Darling Basin in flood years.

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

Pink-eared Duck

Chant

A soft, high-pitched rattling 'zarr-zarr' or reedy whistle. Considered a quiet duck. Calls while feeding in shallow Australian wetlands and flooded grasslands.

Mandarin Duck

Chant

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

Pink-eared Duck

Mandarin Duck

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

Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Pink-eared Duck

Least Concern

Mandarin Duck

How to Tell Them Apart

Pink-eared Duck

Plumage

Pale gray-brown body with bold dark brown barring on flanks. Brown-streaked crown; white face with brown eye-patch. Tiny pink ear-spot behind eye. Wide gray spatulate bill. Striped flanks diagnostic. Sexes …

Mandarin Duck

Plumage

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.

Bec

Small red bill in breeding males, pinkish in females

About These Birds

Pink-eared Duck

A small highly specialized duck with a large spatula-shaped bill for filter-feeding, grey-brown plumage with bold facial stripe, and a tiny pink patch behind the eye. Endemic to Australia. Highly nomadic; follows inland flooding. Expert filter-feeder on microscopic algae and invertebrates.

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.

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