Brevard Zoo | Australasia Exhibit

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Paws on Play

Mandarin Duck

The Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata), or just Mandarin, is a medium-sized perching duck, closely related to the North American wood duck. It is 41 to 49 cm long with a 65 to 75 cm wingspan.

Mandarin Duck

The adult male is a striking and unmistakable bird. It has a red bill, large white crescent above the eye, a reddish face and "whiskers." The breast is purple with two vertical white bars, and the flanks ruddy, with two orange "sails" at the back. The female is similar to female wood duck with a white eye-ring and stripe running back from the eye, but, it is paler below with a small white flank stripe, and a pale tip to its bill.

The species was once widespread in eastern Asia, but it is now endangered despite being evaluated as Least Concern because of large-scale exports and the destruction of its forest habitat. The populations in eastern Russia and in China are both probably well below 1,000 pairs, although Japan may have around 5,000 pairs.