Mandarin Aix galericulata
As this species declines in its native range, the introduced population in the UK thrives and now accounts for a significant proportion of the world wide population. An extremely popular bird in captivity and escaped individuals may be encountered almost anywhere.
In Norfolk Felbrigg Lake is probably the most reliable site for feral birds. The female below is from there but while some of the others may possibly have originated from a feral population most were tame individuals that are probably more likely to be direct escapes from captivity.
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, South Creake, 21-Dec-06") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, South Creake, 21-Dec-06") |
|
male Mandarin, South Creake (Norfolk, UK), 21st December 2006
| |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, South Creake, 22-Jun-07") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, South Creake, 21-May-07") |
|
near-eclipse male Mandarin, South Creake (Norfolk, UK), 22nd June 2007
|
male Mandarin, South Creake (Norfolk, UK), 21st May 2007 |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, South Creake, 22-Jun-07") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, South Creake, 22-Jun-07") |
|
near-eclipse male Mandarin, South Creake (Norfolk, UK), 22nd June 2007
| |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Felbrigg, 1-Jan-09") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Felbrigg, 1-Jan-09") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Felbrigg, 1-Jan-09") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Felbrigg, 1-Jan-09") |
|
female Mandarin, Felbrigg Lake (Norfolk, UK), 1st January 2009
| |
%20L.jpg "Mandarin, Lowestoft, 5-Apr-03") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Titchwell, 5-Mar-11") |
|
male Mandarin, Normanston Park, Lowestoft (Suffolk, UK), 5th April 2003
|
male Mandarin, Titchwell (Norfolk, UK), 5th March 2011
|
%20L.JPG "Mandarins, Guist Bridge, 26-Mar-11") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarins, Guist Bridge, 26-Mar-11") |
|
pair of Mandarins, Guist Bridge (Norfolk, UK), 26th March 2011 - shame the camera was on the wrong setting!
| |
The following birds are still in captivity.
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 28-Feb-09") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 28-Feb-09") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 28-Feb-09") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 28-Feb-09") |
|
captive Mandarins, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 28th February 2009
| |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 4-Dec-10") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 4-Dec-10") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 4-Dec-10") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 4-Dec-10") |
|
captive Mandarins, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 4th December 2010
| |
 |
|
|
captive Mandarin, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 13th February 2010
| |
Whilst leucistic birds are fairly unlikely to be encountered among birds that are bred in the wild, they are quite frequent in captivity, as the following examples illustrate:
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 28-Feb-09") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 28-Feb-09") |
|
captive leucistic Mandarin , Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 28th February 2009
|
|
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 7-Nov-03") |
%20L.JPG "Mandarin, Blakeney Collection, 18-Jan-04") |
|
captive leucistic Mandarin , Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 7th November 2003 |
captive leucistic Mandarin , Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 18th January 2004 |
%20T.JPG "Wood Duck")
%20T.JPG "Wood Duck")
%20T.JPG "Falcated Duck")