The Mandarin Duck (Aix Galericulata) is a small perching duck, closely related to our North American Wood Duck. In fact, the Mandarin and the Wood Duck are the only two birds in the Aix genus. The Mandarin Duck is native to Northeast Asia (i.e. Korea, Japan, Eastern Russia, and Northeast China) where they inhabit forests near lakes and slow moving rivers. Most people consider the mandarin to be the most beautiful of the world’s ducks. In turn, the mandarin has become popular as an ornamental fowl exhibited in zoos and private aviaries throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Although native to Asia, feral populations of the mandarin duck have been established in Europe with the largest population of feral mandarins currently residing in England. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 wild mandarin ducks currently reside in that country. There is also a small feral population of mandarins in Sonoma County, California. This North American population is the result of captive birds accidentally escaping and then going on to reproduce in the wild.

The adult male is a striking and unmistakable bird. It has a red bill, a large white crescent above the eye, a reddish face, and orange whiskers. The breast is purple with two vertical white bars and the flanks are ruddy in color with two orange sails on the back. The female is similar in appearance to the female wood duck with a white eye-ring and stripe running back from the eye. However, the mandarin hen has a paler underside than the wood duck hen. The mandarin drake has a red bill, while the hen’s bill is grey. There is a Korean population of mandarins. In this particular group of mandarins, the hens bill is red like that of the drake.

The mandarin duck was once widespread in Eastern Asia, but large-scale exports and the destruction of forest habitat have reduced populations in Eastern Russia (Siberia) and China to below 1,000 pairs in each country. Japan, however, is thought to still have some 5,000 pairs. Feral mandarin populations have been established in parts of Europe and even Northern California (Sonoma County). These birds are presumably the result of escaped captive mandarins. The largest feral mandarin population resides in England. In the wild, Mandarin Ducks breed in densely wooded areas near shallow lakes, marshes, or ponds. They nest in tree cavities close to water. Shortly after the ducklings hatch, the hen flies to the ground and coaxes the ducklings to leap from the nest. After all the ducklings are out of the tree, they will follow their mother to water where they encounter the male whom rejoins the family. The Asian mandarin populations are migratory, overwintering in eastern China and southern Japan. The feral mandarin populations do not migrate.

Like the North American Wood Duck, mandarins nest in raised nest boxes. Mandarins are capable of breeding their first year; however, fertility is usually better their second year. The mandarin breeding season usually occurs around April. Clutches range from 8 to 14 eggs and are incubated for 28 to 30 days. The young are easily raised and are fully feathered in about 8 weeks. In addition to the standard wild-colored mandarin, there are also several color mutuation in mandarin ducks including the white and apricot. The white mandarin mutation began appearing several decades ago in captive birds. It is believed that this mutation also occurs in the wild but rarely survive to maturity as a result of predation. To our knowledge, there are no apricot mandarin breeders in North America.