Mandarin duck bird short. Mandarin duck - description and features of breeding at home

The Mandarin duck is an Asian waterfowl of the Anseriformes order, the Anatidae family. Many of us, looking at the multi-colored mandarin duck, have wondered why it is called that, and what kind of colorful bird it is? This is a small forest bird. Another common name for it is Chinese duck. This bird is a symbol of eastern culture and is listed in the Red Book Russian Federation. Hunting for it is prohibited. Introducing Interesting Facts about this duck.

Story

The name of the mandarin duck has nothing to do with the citrus fruit, the tangerine. It got its name due to its similarity in color scheme With Chinese nobility- tangerines who loved to wear colorful, expensive and bright clothes.

In ancient times in China, keeping these small birds in their artificial ponds was a sign of wealth and abundance. Only high-ranking people could afford such luxury.

In ancient times, the Mandarin duck was an ornamental bird in other eastern countries. For many centuries it has decorated the gardens and parks of Japan and Korea.

Where does he live?

Mandarin duck - where it lives and what is interesting about it. Homeland of the duck - territories East Asia and the Russian Far East, with the majority of the population living in the Russian Federation. The bird lives in the Amur region, Primorsky Krai and the Kuril Islands.

But in the fall, the duck has to leave Russian lands to go to warmer regions to spend the winter. For a comfortable winter you need a temperature above 5 degrees. Flying a long distance, the bird stops for the winter in China and Japan, where it builds its nests during the winter. It is interesting that in winter, ducks change their color: the plumage of males loses its original brightness. The feathers will become bright again when the snow melts in their homeland.

Nowadays, a small number of these birds have settled in Ireland, the USA and England.

Features of lifestyle and behavior:

• lives near rivers in small flocks;
• feeds early morning and evening;
• takes off almost vertically;
• settles on rocks and trees.

External characteristics

Mandarin duck - interesting facts about appearance. Thanks to its bright and unusual plumage, this species of duck is considered the most beautiful among the duck family. The male is much brighter than the female. The mandarin duck is relatively small in size and weighs less than one kilogram (500-800 g), and it is about 40 centimeters in length. Due to the fact that the wingspan is quite large for a small bird and reaches 70 centimeters, the last flight feathers of the wings when folded are picturesquely curved upward, protruding above the back on both sides.

The drake's beak is red and its legs are yellow. The plumage has absorbed all the colors of the rainbow: yellow, purple, blue, orange, red. The male has a crest on his head. The ends of its wings, when folded, lift up, creating a kind of saddle.

Female mandarin ducks do not have such colorful plumage, but they are beautiful in their own way. Their heads are also decorated with an elegant crest, they have an abdomen white, the eyes are also lined with the same color; all their plumage varies from gray to brownish shades. Their unremarkable appearance helps them camouflage themselves during the breeding period.

The inconspicuous color of the female helps her blend in with surrounding nature and makes it invisible to predators while hatching chicks. But the dull plumage is compensated by the grace and clear lines of the silhouette. There is a white mandarin duck that was bred by breeders.

The lifespan of mandarin ducks can reach 10 years. At home, with proper care, they can live up to 25 years.

Features of mandarin ducks:

• colorful plumage;
• special singing (ducks of this species do not quack, but squeak or make sounds similar to whistling);
• maneuverable and fast flight.

Behavior

Together with the American Carolina duck, the mandarin duck forms a genus of wood ducks. Birds settle in forests on rocky river banks. Like other ducks, the mandarin duck floats well on the water and, if necessary, easily takes off almost vertically without a run-up. But unlike ducks of other species, mandarin ducks spend a lot of time in coastal forests, easily maneuvering among trees, sitting on branches, windfall trunks, and coastal rocks.

Mandarin ducks are silent and cautious birds. They rarely make a voice, sometimes making sounds similar to a quiet melodic whistle.

The birds are also called hollow birds due to the fact that their nests are located in hollow trees, often at a height of more than 10 meters. The hollow is used by the family only once and the duck is new every year. The male takes care of the female while the eggs are incubated. On average, a female lays 9 eggs. To ensure that the chicks hatch at the same time, the mandarin duck sits in the nest after laying all the eggs.

After about a month, down-covered, sighted chicks appear. The female flies out of the nest onto the ground and calls them. The chicks, barely dry, leave the nest and, due to their low weight, reach the ground unharmed with the help of their webbed paws. The female collects the brood and leads it to the pond, and the male leaves the family.

In June, drakes gather in a flock and hide in the thickets. They begin to molt. The bright color gives way to plumage of the same color as that of ordinary ducks.

Ducks find food in the forest and in the water. Food can be greens and plant fruits - seeds, berries, nuts, acorns. Small fish, fish and frog caviar, insect larvae, and mollusks are obtained from the water.

In Russia, the bird is protected by law and is listed in the Red Book. Natural enemies tangerines - predator birds and rodents that destroy nests and attack young animals. In the wild, the decline in the number of mandarin ducks is due to deforestation and unauthorized hunting.

Interesting information

Mandarin ducks are quite interesting and unusual birds, from their plumage to their behavior and way of life. What is interesting about the Mandarin duck?

• Every year the duck builds nests in new places.
• Their ability to rise vertically into the air helps them avoid obstacles such as tree branches.
• The name mandarin duck is borne not only by a representative of the duck family, but also aquarium fish, which is in natural environment lives in freshwater bodies of China.
• The number of eggs depends on the age of the duck: the younger the female, the fewer eggs she can lay.
• There are about 500 thousand ducks of this species on our planet.
• Ducks shed their feathers twice a year. In June, when molting begins, their feathers lose their bright color and they look like ordinary ducks.

Mandarin ducks are very popular as ornamental birds. Mandarin ducks breed well in captivity. They are unpretentious in food, coexist peacefully with other birds, reproduce well, and are good parents. For healthy development and reproduction, they need conditions close to natural, with a pond, hollows, tall trees or posts.

Ducks are thermophilic, so in cold weather they require warm rooms with good bedding and a pond with heated water for heating.

The best food for mandarin ducks is a special compound feed for waterfowl with the addition of herbs, vegetables, and root vegetables.

You have to try to more birds were free, because that’s where they were truly happy. In the wild, although it is difficult for them to get food, they can fly, and this makes them healthier and brings joy that cannot be compared with the well-fed but lazy life of the owner.

The mandarin duck is a small wood duck, with a maximum weight of just over half a kilogram. amazing beauty. It is also called Chinese duck. The mandarin duck got its name from the important people of China, the mandarins, who wear flashy orange outfits. Exotic fruit has nothing to do with this name.

Mandarin duck has bright colors and weighs no more than 0.5 kg

The charming, rare waterfowl is illegal to hunt. It is listed in the Russian Red Book and is protected by wildlife defenders. I want to admire the mandarin duck. A panel or slide, where the most graceful duck is captured in all its glory, will decorate the interior and emphasize the taste of the owner of the house.

Unfortunately, in winter the color of the mandarin duck changes. The males become inconspicuous, gather in flocks, and prefer to hide in the thickets. Hunters often confuse ducks with other species and shoot them by mistake.

Raccoon dogs, squirrels, and martens destroy nests. Snakes and birds of prey are also enemies of the mandarin duck. The decline in the number of the unique miniature duck is affected by the deterioration of the environmental background. Roads are being built along rivers and forests are being cut down.

The population has no commercial significance. About 25 thousand pairs of mandarin ducks live on the planet.

Mandarin ducks are endangered

Habitats

The bird lives in East Asia. In Russia, the habitats are the fertile regions of the Far East, Khabarovsk Territory, Amur Region and Sakhalin Island.

The snow has not yet had time to completely melt, but the tangerines are already rushing to summer places a habitat. At the end of September, after a significant cold snap, the duck leaves the north of its range and flies to the warm regions of Japan and China for the winter. She chooses forest valleys near mountain rivers, taiga thickets and windbreaks.

She uses a hollow tree for her home. The height above the ground can reach 15 meters. This is the only type of duck that settles on branches.

In countries where the mandarin duck does not live in the wild, it is bred to decorate ponds in gardens and parks. Birds that leave city zoos can create new populations. According to data taken from the card index at the Ringing Center, interesting facts became known. A drake, ringed in Moscow and disappeared 3 years later, was discovered 800 km away in Dnepropetrovsk. In Germany, a female that flew away from the Nuremberg Zoo was shot in Karelia. She covered more than 2 thousand km.

Beautiful ducks in different times served as a muse for creative people. In engravings and paintings, in storylines embroideries and appliqués depict a mandarin duck. Paintings and poems were dedicated to her.

It is very difficult to buy a decorative Chinese duck for your home. Pet stores rarely offer such a specimen at a high price.

Mandarin ducks occupy special place in folk art

Bright plumage color

Especially beautiful appearance males during the mating season. The bright plumage of the drake evokes enthusiastic exclamations. The male's head appears large due to the long colored feathers on it and neck, forming a gentlemanly set of whiskers and prominent forelock. Copper-red, shiny blue-green, bright red, orange, and white feathers form a motley lively pattern.

When the bird folds its wings, wide wings from the terminal feather protrude upward on each side. The legs are dressed in orange “stockings”, the beak is bright red. The combination of rich colors in the plumage creates an amazing image.

The female is graceful, looks much more modest than the drake, because she should be invisible when she hatches her chicks. The duck is smaller in weight than the male. Its simple coloration creates advantages and allows it to hide from predators. The beautiful, iridescent green feathers on the female's wings amidst the gray-brown plumage add a special charm.

The male mandarin duck acquires bright plumage during mating season

Reproduction

By describing circles on the water surface around the duck, the male tries to please her. He straightens all his feathers, adding weight to his image, and puffs up the crest on his head. On the shore, a drake flirts with a female, carefully fingering her feathers.

The lively males engage in serious fights in the fight for the duck. Having won the right to mate, the drake no longer leaves the female.

The most colorful duck on earth breeds its chicks in a high hollow tree growing near a forest lake or large river with overgrown banks, channels and islands.

Waterfowl chicks are supposed to plunge into the water as soon as they fledge. The offspring, incubated by the duck for four weeks, selflessly rushes down, obediently following the mother’s command. The desperate flight from the nest ends with landing on weak membranes of the legs and still fragile wings. Covered with fluff, almost weightless parachutists - ducklings begin to get acquainted with the world around them.

The female mandarin duck has inconspicuous plumage

Together with their mother, the chicks hurry to a pond located nearby. There is always food along the shore. Butterflies, midges, small crustaceans and worms are very tasty for voracious ducklings. They never tire of pecking at roots, plant shoots and other food. Sensing danger, the kids rush to take cover in the thickets or hide under water. After a month and a half, the young shoots rise to the wing.

All the time while the duck is hatching the babies, the male protects the nest and carefully brings food to his friend. Mandarin ducks raise their chicks together. They're all busy with it summer months: actively drive away predators from their offspring, obtain food, and feed the children.

Birds do not choose the same nesting site twice. Dysfunctional weather in early June may provide Negative influence for reproduction. Mandarin duck chicks feel the cold acutely.

A duck can form a nest on the ground among impenetrable thickets only as a last resort if it does not find a suitable place on a tree.

Female mandarin ducks are reluctant to build nests on the ground

Behavior of Chinese ducks

The striking appearance is not the only feature of the bird. She makes melodic sounds. The quack of other duck breeds contrasts with the whistling or soft squeaking of mandarin ducks. Usually, birds that are not very “talkative” do not stop communicating during the breeding season.

Coastal rocks or trees are favorite places for ducks to live. Flooded logs, branches hanging over a pond, an overgrown bank are good shelter for the mandarin duck in case of danger.

The bird flies almost vertically. Maneuvers easily and quickly. Moves freely from branch to branch.

A duck swims, sitting high on the water, raising its tail. She does not like to dive, she goes under water when absolutely necessary, if she is wounded or feels danger.

Interesting and beautiful description duck is given in a poem by an unknown author:

Mandarin duck – Little miracle, Bright picture On the page of the pond. Floats quietly along the mirror-like surface, Like a dandy, Like at a parade. Above the water, maples dressed in foxes look in surprise and drop their leaves.

The Chinese duck can fly vertically from where it stands.

Marital fidelity

Chinese ducks, having chosen a pair, never separate and always stay together. They take off from the ground or water surface and soar into the sky synchronously.

The female with the drake symbolizes happy family, are one of the images of Feng Shui. It is believed that in order to attract a faithful companion into your destiny, you need to have a couple of mandarin ducks in your apartment.

Descriptions of facts where the most faithful duck representative is mentioned are abundantly contained in Chinese literature. The bird is revered eastern culture as a symbol family well-being, he - she (in Chinese yang - yuan).

What does a mandarin duck eat?

Plants and small representatives of the animal world can serve as food for the mandarin duck. Seeds of various grasses, shrubs, grains, aquatic plants are eaten by birds. Acorns are a favorite food. Birds collect them on the slopes of hills or on the water, perching on oak branches. In autumn, you can see flocks of ducks flying into fields sown with winter crops.

Food of animal origin: insects, worms, shellfish, small fish, snails.

Chinese duck looks for worms and insects on the ground

Features of the Mandarin duck

In the wild, the mandarin duck lives on average 10 years. It is actively exterminated by predatory representatives of its range. Home conditions with proper care can prolong life original bird up to 25 years old.

This bright bird from the Red Book will be a worthy decoration of the city’s park area. The bird gets along calmly with other feathered inhabitants of the reservoir - a fact.

Summarizing the features of the Chinese duck or mandarin duck, we note the most interesting:

• multi-colored, bright color of drake plumage;
• nesting in a hollow tree at a height of 6 to 15 meters;
• unusual voice;
• flight maneuverability;
• loyalty to the chosen couple.

Mandarin ducks choose a mate for life

There are facts that are interesting for curious people to read.

Selection research is underway to develop new breeds of mandarin ducks. Fact: white uniform, resulting from scientific work known to a limited number of people.

At home, the female often does not want to sit on the eggs for a whole month, and they have to be placed under a more assiduous hen, or hatched artificially.

In addition to the mandarin duck, aquarium fish and fish that live in fresh water bodies in China have the same name.

Sad facts confirm the decline of individuals in natural habitat. The disappearance of the mandarin duck is observed in the Amur rivers and taiga forests of Primorye.

The Mandarin duck is a small, brightly colored duck. The mandarin duck belongs to the genus of wood ducks, which includes another little-known species- Carolina duck (Caroline). Both of these species are very similar both in appearance and in their lifestyle.

Male mandarin ducks (Aix galericulata).

The size of these ducks is very small: body length 40-48 cm, wingspan 65-70 cm, weight 400-700 g. Both species have pronounced sexual dimorphism - males are very different in appearance from females. If the ducks are modestly colored gray tones with brownish streaks, the color of the drakes is much richer. Males have mandarin ducks growing on their heads long feathers three types: at the top of the head they are copper-red with green-violet ends, from the corners of the eyes - white, on the sides of the beak - red. Top part the body is black, the underparts are white, the chest is purple, the sides are fawn with a fine mesh pattern. In addition, on each wing there is one very wide feather, sticking out like a sail. These feathers are red with a blue border. In male Caroline birds, the “hood” on the head is green-violet, extending on the chin, neck and edges of the hood white stripe. The chest is chestnut, the sides are fawn, the back is black. In Caroline birds, the wing feathers do not puff up so noticeably. The beak and paws of both species are red.

Male Carolina duck (Aix sponsa).

The mandarin duck lives on Far East, Carolina - in North America, however in European countries(Switzerland, Poland) you can find wild representatives of both species that have escaped from captivity. Mandarin and Carolina ducks living in the south of their range are sedentary, while northern populations migrate. Mandarin ducks winter in southern China and Japan, while Carolina ducks winter in Florida, Mexico and Cuba. Both ducks inhabit the banks of small forest rivers, densely overgrown with trees, and they gravitate towards mountain forests and rivers with rocky banks. Usually these ducks are found alone or in pairs, after breeding, and during wintering they keep in small flocks. Mandarin ducks are cautious and silent birds; they rarely use a voice similar to a soft whistle.

The mandarin duck cautiously examines the surroundings.

In the forest, mandarin ducks often sit on trees and move very deftly among the branches. They fly well, make sharp turns in the air, and take off sharply without a run-up. Caroline ducks dive well, but mandarin ducks do it reluctantly, only in case of danger.

On the water, tangerines have a high landing.

Mandarin ducks feed on seeds, berries and hard fruits of plants. They especially like acorns and nuts, which they catch from the bottom of the river or pluck directly from the branches.

Mandarin ducks feed on acorns.

Their diet also includes small invertebrates, and occasionally they can catch a fish or a frog.

A female mandarin duck caught a frog.

The breeding season begins in February-March. During mating, males swim around the female, showing her their plumage; they often swim with their heads tilted so that their beak is half immersed in the water. Mandarin ducks are monogamous, that is, males mate with only one female, but their pairs are fickle and last only one season. The nest is always located in a hollow at a height of 10-20 m. The clutch contains 9-15 eggs, which both parents incubate for a month. The chicks hatch developed, covered with gray down, and immediately follow their mother. But how do they do this if the nest is located high in the tree? It turns out that after hatching, the chicks... jump out of the hollow, thanks to light weight they plan like paratroopers. The female leads them to the river, and the male leaves the brood. At this time, drakes unite in flocks and molt. The chicks fledgling within 40-45 days, but mortality among the young is high.

A male mandarin duck courtes a female, sorting her feathers.

The enemies of mandarin ducks are birds of prey, foxes, raccoons, raccoon dogs, martens and even squirrels that can destroy nests. Both species of wood ducks are also intensively hunted. However, their numbers remain at high level. Mandarin and Carolina ducks are easily tamed and reproduce easily in captivity. Thanks to their beauty and fertility, they have become one of the most common ornamental ducks; they can often be seen on park ponds. As a result of breeding work, a white form was developed in the mandarin duck, which is still rare and not known to a wide range of people.

White mandarin duck on the pond.

The Mandarin duck is the most beautiful duck on earth. The birds got their name from their bright multi-colored plumage: it was customary in China to call beautifully dressed, noble nobles tangerines.

The mandarin duck is not a small mandarin, as you might think at first, but a small duck, weighing only 400 to 700 grams. Especially stands out extremely unusual appearance male. During its mating season, its outfit begins to become covered in a very colorful color, which makes the mandarin duck stand out from other ducks.

What is especially impressive is that drakes wear their mating plumage almost all year round - from September to July. At the same time, on the head and neck, their long feathers are formed into a large crest, as well as into peculiar “whiskers”, which makes the duck’s head visually quite large. The last feathers of the wings deserve special attention: they are crowned with wide orange fans, which rise upward against the background of folded wings. As a result, two such feathers form a kind of “saddle” on the mandarin’s back.

The color of tangerines can be described as a spectacular, harmonious interweaving of green, purple, orange-red, white and brown colors. Also note that the duck's beak is red and its legs are a bright orange hue. Appearance female mandarin ducks are more graceful than males, but the fact that they lack bright colors in their plumage leaves them in the shadows and forces one to admire only the drakes.

However, in fairness, we will still say that female mandarin ducks are colored like this: their back is olive-brown, their belly is white, and their head is gray-ashy. They also have only a small crest on their head. But for everything else big family Mandarin ducks are different not only in their bright appearance, but also in their voice. If ordinary ducks habitually quack, but mandarin ducks have a quietly whistling or slightly squeaking voice.

In addition, mandarin ducks are the only ducks that live in trees. It is also unique that these birds create hollows at a height of over six meters. On the one hand, for ducklings this seems, at first glance, inconvenient, since mandarin duck chicks, like ordinary ducklings, as soon as they hatch, immediately try to master the art of swimming.

However, living at such a height in a hollow allows the chicks to escape predators. And if you see how they dashingly jump from a height of six meters or more into the water, and at the same time remain completely unharmed, then it becomes clear that here, too, nature turned out to be more intelligent than man. In this case, the babies, at the command of the duck, dive from the hollow directly into the pond and land there, using their still very small wings, and to stop the fall they use membranes on their paws.

Mandarin ducks' favorite treat is frogs. Ducks also love to eat acorns with gusto. In addition, their diet includes dishes from fish, salamanders, plant seeds, and so on. To find their favorite acorns, mandarin ducks fly to oak trees and also pick up their seeds in the water or on hillsides. This duck flies very quickly and maneuverably: from the water or from the ground it can rise almost vertically and equally freely.

But where does this amazingly beautiful bird live? Currently, its nesting grounds are located in Russia in the Sakhalin and Amur regions, as well as in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. Particularly large concentrations of mandarin ducks are observed in the Amur River basin. The northernmost nesting point is considered to be the Botchi River, which flows along the eastern slopes of the Sikhote-Alin.

The southern part of the mandarin duck’s nesting area covers all of Primorye, but except for those places where there is no tall trees. On Sakhalin, the bird lives in the central and southern regions. In addition to Russia, the mandarin duck can also be found in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Some individuals even chose eastern Mongolia for their residence. And if in the southern territories tangerines lead sedentary image life, then in the north they become migratory birds. So, for the winter they usually move to the south of China, Taiwan and the Japanese Islands.

However, populations of mandarin ducks around the world are considered to be quite small. There are barely 25 thousand pairs around the world, while no more than 15 thousand pairs of birds live in Russia. In Russia, mandarin ducks are listed in the Red Book. Hunting them is prohibited by law. However, in order to preserve the mandarin duck as a species, many propose moving the hunting start date to autumn period V Primorsky Krai at the end of September: at this time most of the ducks will have already flown to warmer climes. But such a decision has not yet been made, and the most beautiful ducks on earth are still being exterminated by hunters.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful creations of the animal world is the mandarin duck. This adorable creature weighing up to 700 grams amazes the eye unusual shape bodies and bright color plumage - a generous gift from Nature.

Mandarin duck - a wonderful creation of Nature

The duck got its name for its colorful coloring, and also in honor of an important, smartly dressed Chinese official - a mandarin.

All the colors of the rainbow are collected and originally distributed in the plumage of these birds. Males, like true gentlemen, stand out among the modest, graceful ladies with a chic crest on their heads formed by elongated feathers and sideburns. Like their relatives, mandarin ducks change their outfit twice a year. During the molting period, drakes gather in large flocks, trying not to leave the bushes, and are practically no different from their friends. Therefore, at the moment of molting, it is difficult to accurately determine the place where the mandarin duck lives. Why is she interesting? What is so special about a little bird that attracts genuine interest and sincere curiosity to it?

Features of the Mandarin Duck

The Mandarin duck is characterized by excellent maneuverability and high flight speed: it can fly up in a matter of seconds. It is also characterized by fast swimming and agility. Favorite place where the mandarin duck lives (photo), there are trees hanging over the water or rock ledges.

She often sits high in the water with her tail funnyly raised and dives only if she is possibly injured.

This bird is widespread in East Asia and some regions of Russia, namely in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, Sakhalin and the Amur Region. The duck winters in China and Japan. Due to the rapidly declining population, this species of birds is listed in the Red Book. Since most hunters are not able to distinguish the mandarin duck from its ordinary relatives during the period when the males shed their bright nuptial plumes, hunting it is simply prohibited. Mandarin ducks suffer greatly from raccoon dogs, which mercilessly destroy their nests. Another reason for the decline in the population is hypothermia, which contributes to the death of chicks. It is difficult to determine where the mandarin duck lives in conditions of dangers lurking at every step. It has been established that the surviving individuals are trying to survive, living in impassable taiga channels and oxbow lakes littered with windfalls.

Where does the mandarin duck live?

Mandarin ducks make nests in tree hollows at different heights, sometimes reaching 10 meters. This bird rarely settles on the ground, since the rocky ledges and tree branches where the mandarin duck lives are much safer and more comfortable for it. A clutch usually contains from 7 to 14 eggs, which the female incubates for about 32 days, never leaving the nest for a minute.

The chicks are capricious and very sensitive to low temperatures. As a rule, after hatching, they independently jump to the ground from the nest, and the heights do not frighten them, and the falls end safely. From the moment they are born, babies almost immediately begin to swim and dive. This happens under close maternal supervision throughout the summer.

Because wild nature has a detrimental effect on the survival of ducks, where the maximum life expectancy does not exceed 10 years, people have adapted to breeding mandarin ducks at home as a proper care and with rationally selected nutrition in a calm home environment, she can live 25 years.

During the warm period, it is easy to artificially create conditions similar to the places where the mandarin duck lives. The bird can be kept in checkered enclosures equipped with perches at different heights, protruding branches and containers with water. When cold weather sets in, it is better to change the outdoor environment to insulated rooms. Mandarin ducks are friendly towards other birds living in the same territory with them, so they can be safely released into a pond along with another bird. Pure water- this is precisely their element, which brings a lot of pleasure. After all, swimming is a favorite activity for mandarin ducks both in summer and winter.

What does the Mandarin duck eat?

Mandarin ducks' favorite foods are frogs and acorns, although their diet includes fish, beetles, and grains of rice. At home care It is imperative to include wheat bran, barley, oatmeal, corn, grass and fish meal, and chalk in the diet. During the season, you should definitely include greens in your diet: chopped plantain leaves, lettuce, dandelion, duckweed.

Mandarin ducks are a symbol of marital fidelity, happy and mutual love; the female and male are always together, they even take off at the same time. This bird chooses a partner once in its life and, being separated from him, can die of loneliness. This devotion to each other made them faithful, which is reflected in the creations of many authors: silk embroideries, appliqués, engravings, vases and mosaics.

Mandarin duck - a symbol of fidelity and marital happiness

In the old days, presenting newlyweds with paintings depicting tangerines was a tradition that prophesied a happy family life. For many centuries, these ducks decorated the parks of Korea and Japan, and only wealthy people could afford to maintain such an exotic luxury.

There is a beautiful legend about these ducks. One Chinese gentleman, having decided to separate from his wife, was considering this serious step while walking along the lake. At one point, his thoughts were interrupted by two mandarin ducks that landed on the water. Having admired them, their gentle behavior full of affection and love, the gentleman remembered the wonderful moments of his family life, and the faded love flared up again. Thus, the ducks saved a marriage that was almost destroyed.