Mandarin duck

Male breeding plumage is colorful.

Scientific name	Aix galericulata
English name	Mandarin duck
Japanese name	Oshidori
Classification	Aves
Classification details	Passeriformes Emberizidae
Full length	48cm
Distribution	Distributed in East Asia. Breeds north of central Honshu.

Characteristics

A bird characterized by the colorful plumage of males. During the breeding season, males have a complex appearance with different colors for each part. White around the eyes and red beak. Green to brown feathers flutter backwards from the top of the head. Jagged brown feathers extend from the cheeks to the throat. The chest is purple and the belly is white. Wings are tinged with blue. When it becomes an eclipse, it changes and changes to a sober appearance of the whole body gray. Even then, only the beak was red.Females are gray all over. The area around the eyes is white, with a white line extending behind the eyes. The beak is black.

Calls

The male makes a short "puy" call. When alarmed, it makes a sharp "kick" sound.

Ecology

Lives in lakes and streams. It prefers darkness, such as being shaded by trees, to open water. It eats fruits of trees such as oaks, riparian plants, and insects. Breeds by building nests in tree cavities. Chicks jump from nests in trees.

We know that mandarin duck pairs change their mates every year, and it seems that they don't last a lifetime, as we imagine when we hear the word "mandarin duck couple."

Habitat

I took a picture of him swimming in a mountain stream in Akiruno City. I was surprised to see a male Mandarin Duck suddenly in the quiet, thin river. I couldn't find a female, but after observing for a while, she approached the male. She was leisurely feeding in the upper reaches of the river where there were few other ducks.