No sign-up needed. You can save notes on this device.
An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
A male mandarin duck bobs his head to court a female.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Mandarin duck
- Scientific name
- Aix galericulata
- Japanese name
- オシドリ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Aix
It is a duck of East Asian forests, such as in Japan, China and Russia, living on ponds and rivers surrounded by trees.
Toward the end of summer, the male grows brightly colored feathers, including a pair of sail-like feathers that stand up on its back.
It lays its eggs in a hollow high up in a tree, and the female raises the ducklings by herself.
How the Mandarin duck lives
It eats water plants, rice and other grains. During summer, both males and females have subdued, inconspicuous plumage. During the breeding season, the male courts the female with a low call.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web多摩動物公園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: about 45 cm
- Diet
- Acorns, plants, insects, and other foods
- Range
- Japan, Russia, China, and Southeast Asia
Where the Mandarin duck has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- オシドリ
- 简体中文
- 鸳鸯
- 繁體中文
- 鴛鴦
- 한국어
- 원앙
- Español
- Pato mandarín
- Français
- Canard mandarin
- Deutsch
- Mandarinente
- Português (Brasil)
- Pato-mandarim
- Italiano
- Anatra mandarina
- العربية
- بط صيني
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Bebek Mandarin
- Tiếng Việt
- Uyên ương
- Русский
- Мандаринка
- Türkçe
- Mandarin ördeği
- ไทย
- เป็ดแมนดาริน
- বাংলা
- মান্দারিন হাঁস
- اردو
- مینڈارن بطخ
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 多摩動物公園 — オシドリChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Aix galericulataChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Mandarin duck, look for this
- Look for the curved white stripe behind the female’s eye.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Mandarin duck
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Anatidae
MORE TO MEET
