Mandarin Duck Portrait
by Eva Lechner
Title
Mandarin Duck Portrait
Artist
Eva Lechner
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
The mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) is a perching duck species native to East Asia. It is medium-sized, at 41–49 cm (16–19 in) long with a 65–75 cm (26–30 in) wingspan. It is closely related to the North American wood duck, the only other member of the genus Aix. Aix is an Ancient Greek word which was used by Aristotle to refer to an unknown diving bird, and galericulata is the Latin for a wig, derived from galerum, a cap or bonnet.
The adult male has a red bill, large white crescent above the eye and reddish face and "whiskers". The male's breast is purple with two vertical white bars, and the flanks ruddy, and he has two orange "sails" at the back (large feathers that stick up like boat sails). The female is similar to the female wood duck, with a white eye-ring and stripe running back from the eye, but is paler below, has a small white flank stripe, and a pale tip to its bill.
Nature photography by Eva Lechner(Canon 5D Mark III,Canon 100-400mm II L IS USM at 400mm)
Both the males and females have crests, but the purple crest is more pronounced on the male.
Like many other species of ducks, the male undergoes a moult after the mating season into eclipse plumage. When in eclipse plumage, the male looks similar to the female, but can be told apart by its bright yellow-orange or red beak, lack of any crest, and a less-pronounced eye-stripe.
Mandarin ducklings are almost identical in appearance to wood ducklings, and very similar to mallard ducklings. The ducklings can be distinguished from mallard ducklings because the eye-stripe of mandarin ducklings (and wood ducklings) stops at the eye, while in mallard ducklings it reaches all the way to the bill
Uploaded
May 2nd, 2019
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Viewed 747 Times - Last Visitor from Ottawa, ON - Canada on 04/25/2024 at 12:33 AM
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Comments (18)
Conni Schaftenaar
Gorgeous capture, Eva - I vote for this every time I see it in a contest. What a beautiful bird! L/F
Debra Martz
Oh what a beauty! Congratulations on your well deserved Weekly Wow in Wild Birds of the World!!
HH Photography of Florida
Wonderful portrait of this beautiful Mandarin Duck, Eva. Congratulations on your WoWie from William in the Wild Birds of the World group. L/tw