We see many colorful birds in nature. If you are around a lake, you probably see your fair share of ducks. We think of the kind with brown bodies and maybe green or multicolored heads when we think of colorful ducks. But, there’s a certain specious of duck that makes you amazed who is called Mandarin ducks. They are the most “extra” of all ducks when it comes to flamboyant colors. These birds feature red bills, a deep purple breast, a crest of green, black, blue, and copper, as well as bright gold-colored wings. They also have a few black and white stripes thrown in there too.
These flash birds get noticed everywhere they waddle. But this is just for the male birds. The female birds look just like average ducks. They have brown and white feathers with a speckled crest and beaks are rather plain by comparison. The male ducks start to look more like the females as they start to shed old feathers when they are in their molting season. Their bill is the only way to really tell them apart during these times.
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They are originated from East Asia and are native to Japan, Korea, China, and Eastern Russia. The population of these beautiful creatures has reduced by the destruction of their habitat.
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China and Russia both have around 1,000 breeding pairs, while Japan has 5,000 pairs.
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According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) this duck species categorizes as being of “least concern,” due mainly to their large range.
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These birds can adapt to different environments allowing them to thrive.
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These ducks were important to England due to their gorgeous colors in the mid-18th century. These birds did not start breeding in the wild until around the 1930s after the ducks made a dramatic escape from private grounds.
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Now, England has around 2,300 breeding pairs.
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These birds can be found in the United States. There can be found in counties in both California and North Carolina. It’s also said that there was a sighting of a single male in New York’s Central Park.
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Mandarin ducks represent symbols of fidelity and love in Japan, Korea, and China.
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The common misconception is most ducks mate for life. The male duck is off to flex his feathers for another female duck, leaving the mama duck to raise her 12 ducklings by herself once the hatchlings are born.
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Here’s a news report about New York’s celebrity Mandarin duck in the video below.
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