Mandarin duck

Mandarin duck
Aix galericulata, Linnaeus, 1758

It is an arboreal duck which nests in hollows of trees bent over water or in nesting boxes; rarely also on the ground under the cover of tree trunks or dense vegetation. During the mating season, the male gets exceptionally beautiful colours, later becoming similar to the female. The mandarin ducks are often said to be the most beautiful ducks in the world. In China they are a symbol of fidelity, since they mate for life. They occur naturally in Eastern and Southern China, Taiwan, Manchuria, Japan and Sakhalin. In Poland, wild groups of this species can also be found, e.g. over a hundred specimens in the Łazienki Park.
Distribution: eastern and southern China, Taiwan, Manchuria, Japan, Sakhalin

male / female
body length: 41–49 cm
wingspan: 65–67 cm
body mass: 0,43–0,69 kg