The Magnificent Mandarin Duck

Every once in a while... a birder wakes up in the morning without the slightest inkling that by the end of the day, he or she will have seen a stunning new bird, perhaps one from the other side of the world!  (No, I'm not talking about the sea eagle... unfortunately.)

Such was the case earlier this week, when I received a mid-morning e-mail (Thanks again, Rich!) alerting me to the presence of just such a bird, literally down the street from my house at our local park.  You can bet I scooted over there as soon as I could!  

And after a brief search... this is what I found:

The Mandarin Duck of China is widely considered to be the world's most beautiful duck!

Not what you were expecting, perhaps?

Exotic Mandarin Ducks are native to China, but their incredible beauty has made them tempting treasures for those who keep private waterfowl collections around the world.  Outside of their native range, they are sometimes found around ponds in city parks, particularly in the U.K. and western Europe, hanging out with other escaped and/or released domestic ducks.  I expected to see one of these guys one day in Los Angeles or London (where they are quite established) - not down the street!  

At the local park, this guy was puttering around the muddy edges of the pond with a motley assortment of domestic, feral and possibly even wild waterfowl: mallards and mallard hybrids of every description, from spotted to blonde to gray; large, friendly white Pekin ducks and dark Muscovy hybrids; opportunistic coots; Canada Geese, domestic geese, and one very out-of-place swan goose.  My assumption is that this little duck either escaped or was released from someone's local private collection.

A rather out-of-place Mandarin Duck...I can't help but feel bad for this little guy, trying to make friends with the locals and "hide" behind a muddy rock.

As exotic birds kept largely in captivity in North America, Mandarin Ducks are not technically "countable" per the rules of the American Birding Association.  In birding vernacular, "countable" refers to species that count on official ABA lists and in birding competitions; the rules for an individual birder's personal life list are a little less strict.  I mean, just look at this bird!  I don't have to "count" it to appreciate its beauty!

Not strictly "countable"... but who wouldn't want to admire this beauty for a while?

In order for an exotic species to become countable in the area covered by the ABA (which includes North America north of Mexico, as well as the Hawaiian Islands), it must have established a self-sustaining population that has been present for more than 15 years, and is reproducing at a rate high enough to maintain or increase the population.  Most countable exotic species are found in metropolitan areas, but in order to be considered countable, they must not be dependent on humans.  The numerous established and now countable populations of various species of parrots and parakeets in Los Angeles are a good example.  

Countability varies depending on region: a species that is countable in one county may not be countable in another, like the Scaly-breasted Munias that are established, and therefore countable, along the central California coast, but not in the Central Valley (yet), where they only periodically occur as scattered individuals.  Hawaii has become the mecca of countable exotics, as numerous species have escaped captivity (or were released) to thrive on the islands, often displacing native species.  

As you might have guessed, the topic of established exotic species (which may become invasive) can be a sensitive one.

Visit ABA.org to peruse a list of introduced species and their countable populations, and check out this pamphlet about non-countable exotics in the ABA area, which includes our lovely Mandarin Duck.

Mandarin Ducks are a favorite subject of artists - for obvious reasons!  Check out that purple and green iridescence on this guy's crown!

Closely related to our native Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), with which they have been known to hybridize, Mandarin Ducks (Aix galericulata) are small ducks with a color palette and assemblage of plumage patterns that truly boggles the mind and, just perhaps, borders on garish!  They are undeniably gorgeous birds, but to my earth-tones-and-neutrals-loving eye, they do come across as rather over-the-top!  (I mean, check out the "fins" on the rump... What even are those??)

Preening is a must to keep plumage like this in peak condition!  Just look at those colors and patterns!
The longer you look, the more striking details you will see.

At home in China, Japan and Korea, Mandarin Ducks inhabit wooded streams, ponds and wetlands.  They are not a species of concern, though their populations have declined in recent decades due to habitat loss.  Their habits include paddling in quiet waters, where they typically stay hidden along vegetated edges, perching in trees, and nesting in cavities - just like Wood Ducks.  For the sake of comparison... here is a photo of a local Wood Duck couple.  (Wood Ducks have never looked more conservatively colored!)

Local North American Wood Ducks... looking positively bland in comparison! 

According to what I have gleaned from the internet, the name for these dazzling ducks in the Mandarin language of China is "yuanyang," a two-part word that encapsulates the duality inherent to the species: yuan refers to the brightly colored male, yang refers to his plain but complementary female mate.  Mandarin Ducks were once believed to mate for life, and have long been a symbol of love in China.  

However, as another internet writer phrased it,

"The irony is that mandarin ducks do not mate for life at all and the yuan are deadbeat dads who leave once the ducklings hatch.  Observable scientific facts notwithstanding, 14 centuries of cultural and linguistic habit mean that yuanyang as a metaphor for romantic love is likely to stay." (source of quote)

Paddling along, like a life-size rubber ducky!  

In any case, regardless of this individual bird's origin, countability or romantic habits, I truly enjoyed watching him for a while on a sunny January afternoon, and hope that he sticks around the local park for quite some time.