The mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic. It is sexually dimorphic; males showing a dramatic difference from the females. It is medium-sized, at 41–49 cm (16–19 in) long with a 65–75 cm (26–30 in) wingspan. It is closely related to the North American wood duck, the only other member of the genus Aix. ´Aix´ is an Ancient Greek word which was used by Aristotle to refer to an unknown diving bird, and ´galericulata´ is the Latin for a wig, derived from galerum, a cap or bonnet. Outside of its native range, the mandarin duck has a large introduced population in the British Isles and Western Europe, with additional smaller introductions in North America.
en
