Mandarin Duck

This little duck is famous and much appreciated as an ornamental bird because of the superb plumage… of the male; that of the female, by contrast, is rather dull. Sexual dimorphism in this species is thus very marked.

Its Russian and Chinese populations have been greatly reduced (to a few hundred couples, it is thought) due to the destruction of their natural habitat. In Japan, there were also only few birds left, but a contribution of couples coming from European breeding centres has brought up their numbers in the wild.

Introduced to Europe a long time ago, via England, the Mandarin Duck develops well and is abundant.

Couples remain stable, to such an extent that this duck is a symbol of fidelity: in particular in China but also in Korea, where it is sometimes offered as a gift to bridegrooms.

In Cantonese Chinese, the expression “a couple of mandarins” is used to describe an ill-assorted human couple, by allusion to the difference of plumage!