The mandarin duck is one of the most spectacular representatives of the fauna. The unique appearance and amazing fidelity to the partner made the bird a symbol of family happiness in China. She is often depicted in paintings decorating bridal salons, and sometimes even presented as a gift on the wedding day. This article will tell about the features of a bright exotic duck and its lifestyle in the wild.
Description
Due to its great popularity in China, the bird received a second informal name. It is often called Chinese. The decorative bird is interesting, first of all, for its appearance. Many consider her the most beautiful among all representatives of this class. It is believed that the mandarin duck was nicknamed by association with eastern officials. In the past, mandarin outfits were distinguished by catchy magnificence. Since this breed of duck is known for its bright plumage, it has been given a similar name.
Mandarin duck belongs to the duck family, has a small size. The weight of an adult individual ranges from 400-700 grams. The wing length averages 210–250 mm. The span is about 70 cm.
The bird can be seen from afar. Its unusual bright color immediately attracts attention. Interestingly, the plumage of females differs in color from the plumage of males. The latter are especially beautiful. This is explained very simply: males must stand out in order to attract the attention of females. Consider the color of drakes in more detail.
Appearance of drakes
The head of the male is decorated with 3 shades: orange, red and white. In this case, the colors are never arranged randomly. They create a harmonious spectacular pattern. Long feathers can be seen on the top of the head. Their middle part is painted in an orange-red tone. Along the edges, they have a rich purple color with a blue-green sheen. Closer to the beak, the feathers turn orange. The lateral regions of the head are snow-white. This whiteness effectively contrasts with dark eyes and a bright tuft. The duck is distinguished by a reddish beak with a sharp light tip. On the cheeks of the bird there are long red feathers. They also stand out from the crowd and create a sideburn effect.
The plumage of the body is no less beautiful. It is black on the back. The abdomen is white. On the chest, the feathers have a bluish-purple tint. On the border of the neck and torso, two snow-white stripes can be seen. They form a kind of ring. The wings of the male mandarin duck are orange. Their shape is rather unusual: each wing has one wide, upturned feather. The tail is black and white, striped. Paws are reddish.
Drakes molt twice a year. During these periods, they shed their colored feathers and become like their girlfriends. Gathering in groups, the drakes go into the thickets and stay there until the next stage of life.
Color of females
Female tangerines look more modest. However, the females of this breed are beautiful in their own way. Their feathers are gray and white. The head is decorated with a small crest. The eyes are underlined with white “glasses”, from which light stripes diverge from the sides to the back. The abdomen is light, and the sides and chest are spotted. The tail is greyish. The beak is in harmony with the main color. Such an exquisite, but calm color makes the females invisible against the background of the surrounding nature. Camouflage is extremely important for them, especially during the appearance of chicks.
Interesting Facts
Tangerines of both sexes have large eyes. This allows them to perfectly navigate in space and maneuver between vegetation, branches and other obstacles. Like other ducks, mandarin ducks are waterfowl. However, experts believe that birds do not like to dive. They do this only when necessary to get food. The rest of the time, birds proudly and majestically glide along the waterbed. In this case, the tail of the bird is kept above the water. Despite the fact that the wings of these birds can be called small, their span allows you to instantly gain height. Takeoff is almost vertical. Colorful beauties fly quite quickly.
On the paws of tangerines there are sharp claws. This is the only representative of the duck family with such a feature. The fact is that these birds live in trees. Thanks to their claws, they deftly move along the trunk to get into the nest. They often rest while sitting on branches. The sounds that tangerines make are unique. Unlike ducks of other breeds, which habitually quack, these whistle softly. Birds are often attacked by animals. The main threats are otters, ferrets, raccoon dogs. Tangerines are listed in the Red Book. Hunting for them is prohibited. Nevertheless, sometimes they die due to the fault of the hunters.
In addition to their natural habitat, such ducks can be found in parks and reserves. They are bred as decorative birds, providing them with all the necessary conditions, as close as possible to natural ones.
Habitat
More than half of all registered individuals live in Russia. In particular, unusual birds can be found in the Amur and Sakhalin regions. They are also found in the Khabarovsk Territory. In autumn, birds leave Russia. Our winters are too cold for them. They winter in warmer regions, where the minimum temperature is +5 degrees. Tangerines can travel very long distances. Often they fly to Japan or China for the winter. After the snow melts, the birds return. Today, the habitat of the breed has increased slightly. Multi-colored ducks have been acclimatized in the UK, Ireland, and the USA. In these countries there are still few of them, perhaps in the future the situation will change.
Character and lifestyle
Mandarin is a very mobile and maneuverable bird. As already mentioned, it flies well, swims and keeps well on trees thanks to its sharp claws. Representatives of this breed settle near mountain rivers. They like deciduous or mixed forests. They build nests in calm and quiet places where there are no people. Often these are areas littered with branches or fallen trees. The nest is built in a hollow at a decent height. For warmth, ducks cover it with their down. This behavior is characteristic only of tangerines. Birds nest quite high (up to 6-10 meters above ground level). However, even chicks easily descend from the trees, gliding on still fragile wings, and learn to swim in nearby water bodies. As a rule, families change the place every season. So they take care of their safety.
The amazing fidelity of these rare birds has long been known. They choose one partner for themselves and do not change it throughout their lives. Both in the sky and on the water, birds keep in pairs. They touchingly care for each other, help clean feathers. In China, it has long been believed that the loss of a beloved bird dies, although this has not been proven by scientists. Nevertheless, devotion to a single partner in this variety of ducks is a recognized fact.
What do they eat?
It is not in vain that tangerines settle near water bodies. The main diet of birds includes aquatic plants. Ducks also eat small frogs, mollusks, snails, and worms. A feature of this breed is the love of acorns. This is a real storehouse of vitamins and microelements, especially since picking an acorn from a tangerine tree is not difficult. In addition, birds feed on cereals, plant seeds. In search of a treat, they visit fields with winter crops. Rice and buckwheat are what tangerines need. At home, beautiful ducks can be fed with corn, barley, oatmeal, bran. They should also be given chopped grass and animal protein. As the latter, minced meat or fish can be used.
Reproduction
Tangerines do not mate with other breeds. The reason is a special set of chromosomes. Specialists in the laboratory tried to bring out interesting hybrids. The best result can be considered a duck with white feathers. The rest of the hybrid is identical to purebred individuals. In the wild, the search for “brides” begins in early spring. The male chooses a female and tries to win her favor. In this he is helped by bright plumage. Often the attention of one female is sought by several drakes at once. They swim around the lady in circles and puff up their tufts, showing themselves in all their glory. The female chooses one, the best in her opinion.
After the formation of a pair, the family gives birth to offspring. The male helps his mate at all stages of life. When the female incubates the eggs, a caring partner gets food for himself and for her. Incubation of eggs, which are distinguished by a creamy shell, lasts about a month. The number of future ducklings varies from 7 to 14. Chicks appear in about a month. They are usually strong and very active. They immediately begin to explore the world, leaving the nest. Even the smallest ducklings cannot be injured when falling from a height. They have webbed feet on their feet to help them land softly. In addition, before reaching the ground, they spread their wings and slow down their fall.
In the morning and evening hours, the mother takes the chicks for a walk. Toddlers learn to swim and dive. They acquire not only the skills to keep themselves on the water, but also experience in the extraction of food. The cubs feed on small insects and plant seeds. After 1,5 months, the ducklings are already confidently flying. Before that, at the slightest sign of danger, they hide in the grass.
Under natural conditions, tangerines conscientiously incubate eggs. In captivity, they can not always be called good hens. For this reason, breeders should purchase an incubator. Another solution to the problem is to lay eggs to representatives of other breeds of the duck family. It is usually not possible to quickly separate the chicks from the mother. Kids are not too independent, they are afraid of everything around and need education. In the wild, a married couple takes care of ducklings until they reach full maturity. Therefore, in captivity, babies need parental control, or at least the protection of another hen.
Another problem that people who decide to breed tangerines face is the stress experienced by birds. Life in captivity is usually different from natural habitats. Therefore, the birds are uncomfortable. As a result, females refuse to mate. Sometimes females even show aggression towards drakes. The only way to resolve the issue is to improve conditions as much as possible.
Content at home
Bright ducks can be grown on a farm. These exotic birds live in captivity for about 25 years. However, in order to keep them, you need to find out all the information about their character traits, food preferences and, of course, comfortable living conditions. The arrangement of the aviary is an important point. It is desirable to recreate the conditions as close as possible to those in which the mandarin duck lives in nature. As for the size of the house, it should be spacious. Tangerines are temperamental representatives of the fauna that actively defend their territory. They need a lot of space (minimum 9 m² for one pair). Otherwise, you may encounter the problem of bird aggression during the breeding season. Both males can fight for a place for mating games, and females can fight for choosing a nest.
Trees or their substitutes are needed to build nests. As the latter, wooden poles or logs can be used. The nests themselves should be located at a height of at least 1,5 m from the ground. Only in such conditions will the female feel that both she and her future babies are safe. If you are breeding a large number of individuals, it is better to create nests at different heights so that each female can choose the option that is convenient for herself.
It is also advisable to make sure that there is a place near the nest for a comfortable landing. In natural conditions, this function is performed by tree branches. If a pole is used, additional slats have to be built. Instead of nests, you can build small cozy houses. So that the tangerine does not fly away into the wild, it is worth paying attention to the sufficient height of the walls of the enclosure. The ideal option is covered space. The roof will protect pets from atmospheric precipitation, which will increase their level of comfort. As for the neighborhood with other breeds, mandarins are very friendly. They easily get along with other birds in both natural and artificially created conditions. The main thing is that the mandarin nests are inaccessible to other feathered inhabitants of the enclosure.
In the absence of a natural reservoir nearby, a pool should be provided. To do this, on the territory of the enclosure, you need to dig a hole about 4 meters deep. The width of the recess should be about 1,5 meters. The walls of an artificial pond are best made of concrete. Don’t forget to make a drain hole. You can fill the pool with water using a regular hose. The reservoir does not have to be empty. You can put appropriate vegetation in it, as well as small insects that ducks will eat. Do not forget about hygiene. The pool should be cleaned every 3 weeks.
If in winter the temperature does not fall below 5 degrees below zero, it is permissible to keep birds on the street. However, in this case, the walls and floor of the house should be insulated with hay or straw. If the winters are colder, it is necessary to transfer the ducks to a closed room, where they will be provided with comfortable wintering conditions. Ideally, birds should be moved already at zero air temperature.
If tangerines remain to winter outside, it is important to monitor the condition of the liquid in the reservoir. She shouldn’t freeze. Be sure to pour hot water into the tank, maintaining the optimum temperature.
An important point in breeding ornamental ducks is proper feeding. The diet of birds should contain grains (wheat, corn, rice, barley, etc.). Also included in the diet are vegetables and root vegetables, which are mixed and served along with grass, ground into flour, and plantain leaves. Mandarins are very fond of clover and alfalfa. In a small amount, birds are given cottage cheese and kefir with low fat content. As noted earlier, poultry protein is obtained from fish products or minced meat. However, the share of the latter in the total diet should not exceed 16-18%.
At the same time, ducks need additional vitamins. For this, specialized complexes are purchased. This is especially important in winter and during the breeding season.
If the pet seems lethargic, refuses to eat, it must be shown to the doctor. But in general, representatives of this breed rarely get sick. It is worth noting that with poor care and improper feeding, the risk of diseases increases. Also, in such conditions, the life expectancy of birds is reduced. The most common bird problems that a poultry farmer may encounter are beriberi, rickets, hepatitis, and helminths. To prevent such troubles, you should take care of the cleanliness of the aviary and reservoir, fight rodents, do not neglect mineral and vitamin supplements and provide the birds with good nutrition. Breeding exotic tangerines is not too difficult. The acquisition of one individual by a poultry farmer will cost a little more than $ 100. Of course, a couple is needed to produce offspring. Selling motley beauties will quickly recoup the costs. The main thing is to provide them with proper care and attention.
For information on how to properly care for a mandarin duck at home, see the following video.
