Birds · Anseriformes · Anatidae

Mandarin Duck

Aix galericulata

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

An exotic-looking duck with extreme sexual dimorphism. The male wears a red crest with green highlights, two creamy-white stripes around the eyes, a coral-red bill, coppery orange feathers forming a kind of whiskers, a purple breast and throat and, on the back, two large orange "sails" curving upwards. The female is ochre brown with a white eye ring and stripe and mottled flanks.

Weight

360 g – 500 g

Size

41 cm – 50 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Estimated population

65,000-66,000 individuals worldwide. Fewer than 1,000 pairs in eastern Russia and as many again in China; some 5,000 pairs in Japan. The feral population in the United Kingdom is around 1,000 pairs

FreshwaterOmnivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Freshwater

6countries 20parks42same family

Fun facts

GeneralA symbol of marital faithfulness in East Asia; it nests in tree holes and the ducklings jump to the ground soon after hatching.
As soon as the ducklings have dried off, the female drops from the nest and calls them from the ground: the ducklings launch themselves into the air from as much as 9 metres up and land unhurt.
In China and Japan it symbolises lasting love and fidelity, which is why a pair is given as a wedding present.
Its epithet galericulata means "wigged", from the Latin galerum, cap, after the male's crest.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Rivers and lakes surrounded by woodland
Gestation / incubation: 28-30 days, with the female incubating alone
Litter / clutch size: 8-12 oval white eggs, laid at daily intervals. The male does not incubate but, unlike other ducks, always accompanies the family as a guard

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; Wikipedia (Aix galericulata y Mandarin duck); Asturnatura; Zoobotánico de Jerez; Kaempfer 1727, The History of Japan; Linnaeus 1758; Boie 1828