I found this mandrin duck swimming with the mallards in the wi. river sunday.The duck is primarily found in s.e. china and japan.There is also a population that was introduced in the u.k. How did it get here to wi?
Are you serious, this was on the WI River? If so the only resonable explanation I can think of is that it escaped captivity. They are beautiful ducks!
What a great looking bird! In many ways it resembles our Wood Duck when looking at the body. A few years ago I found a pair of Bar Headed geese. They are from the mountainous regions of central Asia north of the Himalayas. I thought at first farm geese but these would fly out with the Canadas every day to feed. How these birds end up here I don't know. Quite possibly flying over the Bering Strait into Alsaka and then south from there??
I would like to see how the experts at Ducks Inlimited would respond to this tread. Interesting to say the least.
Mandrin duck how it got here! To quote a Cheech and Chong line " he took the freeway how else". :lol:I would bet even money this bird escaped from a bird sanctuary or zoo. Beautiful bird and great job getting the picture.
wow Yes, I wouild think that both those birds escaped from a private collection or zoo...what amazing birds. Wow I am still fascinated by a drake wood duck, but that mandarin in just incredible.
A few years back there was a male Mandrin that hug out on Delavan Lake until freeze up. It was beautiful to watch. It stayed until the last water got hard. No idea where it came from. I guess they can wander this way once in a while.