Southern Pintail vs Mandarin Duck

Anas eatoni 对比 Aix galericulata

Side-by-Side Comparison

属性 Southern Pintail Mandarin Duck
学名 Anas eatoni Aix galericulata
Anseriformes Anseriformes
Anatidae Anatidae
保护状况 Vulnerable Least Concern
体长 44.0 cm (17.3 in)
翼展 40.6 cm (16.0 in) 70.0 cm (27.6 in)
体重 497.0 g (17.53 oz) 570.0 g (20.11 oz)
食性 Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; eats hard-shelled prey; diet shifts between freshwater and … Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and …
产卵数 2-6 7-14
Population Trend

Size Comparison

Body Length
Southern Pintail
Mandarin Duck 44.0 cm
翼展
Southern Pintail 40.6 cm
Mandarin Duck 70.0 cm
体重
Southern Pintail 497.0 g
Mandarin Duck 570.0 g

Habitat Comparison

共同栖息地

Southern Pintail only

Mandarin Duck only

Southern Pintail

Restricted to the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen and Crozet archipelagos. Inhabits freshwater streams, ponds, and coastal wetlands. Largely terrestrial for a duck; forages on land among tussock grasses.

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

Southern Pintail

鸣唱

Female produces a quiet, nasal quacking; male gives a soft whistle. Subdued vocalizations suit this sub-Antarctic island duck; calls are seldom heard and rarely documented.

Mandarin Duck

鸣唱

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

Southern Pintail

Breeds in Iceland and high-Arctic Norway; winters on the coasts of northwestern Europe and the British Isles.

Mandarin Duck

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

保护状况

Vulnerable

Southern Pintail

Least Concern

Mandarin Duck

How to Tell Them Apart

Southern Pintail

羽毛

Brown, mottled plumage; head brown with pale cheeks. Pointed tail; males slightly longer-tailed. Grayish bill. Speculum bronze-green. Sexes similar with modest dimorphism. Subantarctic island endemic; two subspecies.

Mandarin Duck

羽毛

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

About These Birds

Southern Pintail

A small island duck found on the remote Kerguelen and Crozet archipelagos in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean. Closely related to Northern Pintail. Non-migratory island endemic; small population threatened by introduced predators and overgrazing by rabbits.

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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