Mandarin duck is a very bright little bird. Ancient Chinese painters depicted her on their canvases, so the Mandarin duck is also called the Chinese duck. According to them, such birds bring love, happiness and many years together to newlyweds.
Habitat
The main habitat of tangerines is the Far East. In our country, they are found in the Khabarovsk Territory, the Kuriles, the Sakhalin Region and Astrakhan, from where they fly to China and Japan in the fall. In addition, there are suitable living conditions in Ireland, California, Great Britain.
In their habitats, the presence of a mountain river, rocks, tall trees is mandatory, so their favorite habitats are taiga, deciduous and mixed forests, mountains. It is difficult to detect a mandarin duck, their nests are well hidden from human eyes. Birds are perfectly adapted for forest life, easily move between the branches of trees and shrubs, and in danger they find refuge in the thickets.
With the advent of cold weather fly south. In warm countries, they can lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Description of Mandarin duck
According to legend, the Chinese gave the name to these birds. In China, officials and nobles, called tangerines, wore bright, rich clothes, reminiscent of the color scheme of the coloring of these ducks. And keeping these ducks in their pond was for them a matter of prestige, pride and an object of bragging. The importance of mandarin oranges in Chinese culture can be judged by their mention and depiction in various arts. It is widely believed that, having figures of such birds in the house, you can achieve harmony in family life.
Appearance
An adult individual weighs from 0.5 to 0.7 kg, and its length is about 45 cm. The head of the birds is small, round, the eyes are large, almost black. The beak of females is gray, and in males - red. The wingspan reaches 0.7 m. The legs are red, with sharp claws. Ducks quickly gain height, easily tack in the forest, climb trees and hold on to them.
Mandarin ducks swim well and with pleasure, but rarely dive. The birds' voice does not sound like the usual quacking. It is characterized as a kind of whistle.
Plumage of drakes
The plumage of drakes is especially bright and beautiful. In appearance, the bird resembles a toy. Draws special attention to itself. The feathers on the head are a pattern of several colors: red, orange-brown and white.
The central part of the crown has elongated bright red feathers, and their ends and base shimmer with purple and green. Around the beak, the plumage is redder. On the side of the head, including the area around the eyes, is covered with white feathers, forming a small colored tuft at the back. And closer to the neck is the plumage of an orange-brown color, a striped pattern. The beak is even, red in color, with a white tip slightly bent down.
The body color of the male is similar in brightness to the head. Smooth black back and white chest. The plumage from neck to chest shimmers with violet-blue colors. The middle of the chest has a transverse pattern of two white framing circles. Below the color is beige-orange.
On the dirty beige wings, an orange feather is bent up. The tail is composed of black and white feathers. The tail itself is slightly down. The feet are orange-red.
Twice a year, drakes change their plumage during molting. Their plumage becomes very similar to the feather color of females.
Plumage of females
The plumage of females does not indulge in a variety of colors, but nevertheless it is attractive in its own way. In the color of the duck, the leading position is gray. Only a white breast, the area around the eyes and the base of the dark gray beak are circled. The wings are brownish gray, the neck and sides are ripples of a combination of white and gray small spots. The feathers on the crown are longer than the rest and slightly raised. Invisibility is necessary when laying eggs and hatching chicks. Legs are yellow-brown.
Nature and behavior
Mandarin ducks are curious, but very shy. In case of danger, they fly away sharply, getting lost in the thick of tall trees.
The bird swims well, minimally immersing the body in water and raising its tail. Tangerines love to swim, this process brings them pleasure. They dive only as a last resort, for example, in case of injury and danger. Show friendliness to other birds in the water.
The duck's flight is agile, nimble and high-speed. Tangerines rise into the air at right angles, almost vertically.
Lifestyle and lifespan
The natural habitat of this species of ducks are areas with mountain rivers and forests near water bodies. The favorite place for tangerines is tree branches bending over the river. Ducks often sit on the surface of the rocks, resting and basking in the sun.
Hunting these ducks is strictly prohibited due to the extinction of the species.
Mandarin duck is bred in squares and parks with reservoirs as decorative birds.
In the wild, due to the ecological background and natural enemies, mandarins live on average 15 years. At home, providing constant care, safety and quality nutrition, you can increase life expectancy up to 20-25 years.
The population of mandarins is about 25 thousand individuals. Of these, approximately 60% live in our country.
Care and maintenance of ducks Mandarin ducks
Proper care and adherence to certain conditions of detention, allows you to independently engage in the cultivation of beautiful Mandarin ducks.
The diet
Mandarin ducks are omnivores. In search of food, they fly out at dawn and before sunset. In summer, plant foods occupy a large proportion of the diet. Ducks feed on seeds of plants, especially they love nutrient-rich acorns. Collect them under oak trees, or pluck from trees, climbing on them.
The diet includes terrestrial and aquatic plants. Bird's animal protein is obtained from fish eggs, mollusks and other small inhabitants of rivers and reservoirs, and various worms.
To keep the tangerines healthy at home, you need to take care of their balanced, always fresh diet. More often let the birds go for a walk in the pen, which allows them to get their own food, while leaving them with food supplies in the feeders.
Alfalfa, plantain, dandelion, duckweed are suitable as plant foods. You can give chopped raw and steamed vegetables. From cereals eat corn, wheat, barley and others. For the winter, prepare silage, grass flour, vegetables for pets.
Don't forget about animal protein. Its tangerines can be obtained by eating minced meat from fish and frogs, small insects, minced meat, and snails.
It is advisable, especially in winter, to add vitamins and minerals to food.
In the period of courtship games, increase the amount of protein by 20%, and at the end of this phase, return the protein volume to a normal level.
The diet of the chicks is more modest. They require small insects and boiled carrots.
Breeding and offspring
In early spring, the time for mating mandarin ducks begins. Several males sometimes compete for one female. Drake, choosing a mate, begins active courtship in her address. Having fluffed feathers on his head in order to appear larger and more massive, he describes the circles around the duck on the surface of the reservoir, in every way attracting attention with his bright plumage.
When the female makes her choice in favor of the best drake, a strong pair is created for life. Tangerines are faithful to the partner. If it happens that one of the couple dies, the other partner spends the rest of his life alone.
Duck nests both on the ground and in tall trees, preferring to build a nest in hollows if possible. Lays 7 to 14 eggs. The offspring appears after about a month of hatching. At this time, the drake takes special care of the female. She gets food and feeds her. The number of the brood and the health of the chicks is greatly influenced by weather conditions, the cold for babies is destructive.
Ducklings that are born immediately learn to swim and get their own food. Falling out of the nest, which is located on a tree, the kids do not crash on the ground. They hover over her like parachutists, landing carefully. Their diet consists of small insects.
At the slightest danger, the duck takes the chicks into the thickets, and the male distracts the predator, attracting attention to itself. After 6 weeks, young growth flies on a par with adults, getting food, therefore it is not attached to the parent nest.
Matured males molt, changing plumage to bright, and then form a separate flock. Sexual maturity occurs in the first year of life, but reproductive abilities are fully manifested a little later. Thus, the older the mandarin duck, the more fertilized eggs it can lay.
Home content
Mandarin duck loves warmth. Therefore, when deciding on the maintenance of this breed of birds, create optimal conditions. Lay hay, straw on the floor, provide additional heating in the cold season. If the air temperature drops below 5 ° C, it is recommended to keep the birds in shelters, not letting them out into the cold.
The enclosure should have enough space, not less than 15 square meters. m for each pair. The ceiling is covered with a net so that the tangerines cannot fly away. There must be a reservoir in the breeding area. There is no fundamental difference in what it will be - a natural river, a lake located nearby or an artificially made depression filled with clean water.
Another condition for keeping tangerines is the presence of various trees, shrubs near the water and any other hills. The closest approach to life in the wild will have an effective effect on the development and reproductive abilities of birds. With a comfortable existence in captivity, trust in humans, the process of bird breeding is more active.
Place the nests in the house not on the ground, but fasten to walls or on poles at a height of at least 1.5 m. The size of the nest is approximately 40x40 cm. Keep in mind that each pair needs its own aviary. This is due to the fact that, having friendliness to other birds, tangerines do not get along with each other. If there are two or more pairs in the same territory, there is a high probability of competition, fights between drakes, and females may stop laying eggs.
It happens that when kept in captivity, a duck laying eggs, throws the clutch. In this case, it is worth using a hen from other types of ducks. And the best option is to lay eggs in an incubator.
For the time of hatching, the drake should be transferred to another place. So the chances that the duck will breed without leaving the nest is greater.
Pay special attention to the chicks. Without human help in artificially created conditions, they have little chance of survival. You can not do without a feeding schedule and ensure a favorable temperature regime of the reservoir and the house.
We recommend reading an article about feeding ducks at home.
Most often, tangerines are bred because of love for this breed of ducks, but it happens that a commercial goal is also pursued. Both singles and pairs are offered for sale. The price of tangerines varies from 10 to 15 thousand rubles per individual.
The video below provides an overview of the Mandarin ducks:
Natural enemies
Natural enemies for the mandarin duck are considered squirrels that visit tree nests, otters, raccoon dogs. All of them more often attack chicks, feast on eggs, but are also dangerous for adults. In addition, since the "Chinese ducks" are miniature, the danger promises a meeting with any predator that exceeds them in size.
Poachers-hunters occupy a special place in the extermination of mandarins. They are primarily attracted by the color of the male, whose carcass is often subsequently made into a stuffed animal. But it is not uncommon for hunters to confuse drake with other species of birds during molting.
Interesting features
Interesting features of tangerines include:
- Drake feather color. No duck has such a bright plumage.
- Every year, the duck builds a new nest in a new place.
- Vertical rise during flight. Mandarin legs are so strong that lifting is possible at a right angle. This makes it possible to take off even in a very dense forest.
- The presence of sharp claws and the ability to climb trees. They also prefer to build their nests at a height of 5-7 m from the ground.
- When moulting, the drake hides in the thickets, thus forming whole flocks of males.
- Dislike of diving. Ducks swim with pleasure, but dive not for food, but only when there is a serious danger.
- Whistling and special sounds instead of quacking. Mandarin ducklings are quite silent. Their voice can be heard very rarely.
- Due to incompatibility in genetics, it is not possible to cross them with other duck species.
- Albinos among mandarins have white plumage. Scientists are working on the conclusion of new colors of these birds.
Mandarin ducks are amazing birds. Having seen them once, you will not forget. Few of these bright creatures are indifferent. So that our descendants could personally get acquainted with tangerines, it is necessary to reduce by all means the number of cases of hunting for them, and create conditions that allow birds to breed in nature.