Mandarin Ducks
Aix galericulata
A Mandarin drake swimming
Photo courtesy of John Weingart
This beautiful little Asian duck is fairly easy to keep in captivity. A cavity nester like its relative the Wood Duck, it prefers to nest off the ground in a hole in a tree or similar situation. An average clutch is 8 eggs and the incubation period is 29 days.
In breeding plumage the male is unmistakeable for any other species, with the conspicuous orange "sails" on his back.
Excellent fliers, these birds must either be pinioned or kept in covered aviaries.
Mandarin Links:
International Mandarin and Wood Duck Breeders Association
Squaw Creek's Mandarin Duck page -- birds for sale here
The Gazette's page on raising the Wood Duck and Mandarin Duck
Philly Zoo Animal Facts on the Mandarin Duck
Mandarins at Blue Hen Farm
There's a Mailing List at Yahoo devoted to Mandarins
Mandarins at Morgan's Bantam Waterfowl and Chickens
A Mandarin drake
Photo courtesy of Squaw Creek Farm
A pair of Mandarin Ducks
Photo courtesy of Pete Akers
Frontal shot of a Mandarin drake
Photo courtesy of Jeff Gifford
My young pair of Mandarins
How to tell a Mandarin drake from a Wood Duck drake: that's the Woody on the right
And how to tell the females apart (which is harder); the
Mandarins are on the left -- in Mandarins the eye is on the line, in
Woodies the eye is in the line
Large photos courtesy of
Maurice Houston
Field; inset photo of Mandarin head courtesy of Pete Akers; inset photo of
Woodies courtesy of andy@gm0eco.com
Another pair of Mandarins (with a Woody in the background)
A nervous young Mandarin drake
A drake with his crest displaying
Photo courtesy of Pete Akers
White Mandarins
Photo courtesy of Ian Gereg
Two young males of the White form of the Mandarin (don't ask me why they call it White!)
A White Mandarin female
Another pair of White Mandarins
Photos courtesy of Ian Gereg
Mandarins on my pond
Photo courtesy of Ginger Carson
Here's a nest box good for both Woodies and Mandarins.
Hang it on a tree or post a few feet above the ground. If the birds are
pinioned, you need a ramp for them to get to it.
Photo courtesy of Cody Everett
A clutch of Mandarin ducklings
Photo courtesy of Pete Akers
Another clutch of Mandarin ducklings
Photo courtesy of Brice Wonders
or
back to Poultry Page
Direct questions and comments to Barry at FeatherSite -- questions and comments
