mandarin duck

The mandarin duck has a glossy greenish-black forehead that turns to purple as it slopes to a crest at the back of the head. The sides of the head are white with chestnut in front of the eyes. The sides of the neck and the cheeks have longer brown feathers. The upper breast is maroon, and the lower breast and belly are white. The sides and flanks are brown with black streaks and wing sails, which are bright orange feathers.

SIZE, Approximately 21.0-24.5 cm (8.3-9.7 in.) long

Habitat destruction has had a severe impact on the Asian populations of mandarins. In 1911, the Tung Ling forest, a mandarin stronghold, was opened up for settlement and thereafter forests were cleared. By 1928 few sufficient breeding areas remained.

This species is not hunted for food because they taste bad, which has consequently helped them survive.

The natural breeding ecology of the mandarin and wood duck is remarkably similar considering they are found half a world apart in nature. Both generally inhabit wooded regions, lakes, ponds, or inland streams where they forage upon a wide variety of foods that include aquatic plants, seeds, acorns, grains, insects, and even small fish. Vacant woodpecker or other tree cavities are preferred nests sites (the two wood duck babies on the GAZETTE cover shown at right are coming out of a typical tree nesting site in the wild).

Interestingly, despite the fact wood duck and mandarin duck are close relatives with rather similar behavior, they are not generally known to interbreed with each other, even in captivity where the two are sometimes maintained together. Apparently the chromosomes are different enough to make hybridization a rare occurrence.

The Gazette would be interested in hearing from anyone with first hand knowledge of any hybrids and photographs. Of course, interbreeding wild species is to be strongly discouraged, but there is scientific value in recording that which may have occurred inadvertently. For example, whether two species are capable of hybridizing is, among other things, used by scientists in determining relationships.