mandarin ducks belong to the class - the birds, the detachment - geese, family - duck, old - wood duck, mind - Mandarin.
mandarin ducks live in China, Japan and East Siberia.In the winter they go to the southern area of these regions.There they are in the UK due to the fact that they were delivered.They prefer to live near water bodies.
Ducks mandarin colored depending on gender.Males are bright, their color has almost all the colors of the rainbow, with a predominance of orange-brown tones.The plumage of the female more modest in grayish tones.Surprisingly, during the flight, and males and females take on a blue-green tone colors.Do drakes tuft on his head a long, multi-colored.Wings of golden yellow, fan-shaped, beak small, coral-red.Contrast female and male is clearly visible in the photo.
Ducks mandarin different agile and rapid flight.They are easy, almost vertical rise in the air with both the land and from the water.Ducks mandarin, unlike the rest of ducks quacking not, and whistling, cheep.They are silent, but during the breeding continuously give out melodious sounds.
Feed mandarin duck and animal food and vegetable.In particular, seaweed, rice, cereals, seeds of plants, fish, beetles, snails.A special treat for them - acorns and frogs.In early autumn, mandarin ducks get in packs and feeding raiding the grain fields.
to the period of breeding, early winter, Mandarin form a pair.In the formation of pairs is not without fights, as a female for a few sometimes courting males.Fighting males for females are more like competition.The pair formed a lifetime, so mandarin as a symbol of fidelity and marriage.
When the couple was formed, mandarin duck starts looking for a place to nest.They prefer to nest in tree holes at 10-meter height.The female lays eggs, usually 9-12.The eggs are white, oval.Duck eggs hatch about 30 days.Once the process of hatching is over, Mama duck calls chicks on the ground.The chicks crawl out of the nest, which is in the hole of a tree at a decent height, and fall to the ground.Surprisingly, the chicks do not get hurt.Jumping out of the nest, the chicks spread their wings and stretch webbing between toes.Chicks under the supervision of a parent get to the lake, where there is food and shelter.Ducklings are very hungry, they collect their beaks worms, bugs, algae, seeds, crustaceans, etc.In an emergency, they are able to dive and at any time hide under water.After 40-45 days, the chicks are able to fly.The chicks, flying away from their parents, join the other birds.
Mandarin, as well as all duck, molt twice a year.Males in June are almost the same color as the female.Drakes during moulting flocks astray, preferring to stay in the bush willow.Closer to winter mandarin migrate for the winter.Some males before departure dress up in wedding attire.
Mandarin - a rare species of ducks, which are influenced by the number of deforestation.Now their number is estimated at around 20000. The decisive factor in enabling this species to survive, turned their meat unfit for human consumption.
Due to the small population, mandarin ducks brought in the Red Book, hunt them banned.
