Mandarin Duck
There are variety of birds that is breed and kept in Wildlife Fauna Janda Baik. Here is only some of them.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Anatinae
Genus: Aix
Species: Aix galericulata
Geographic Range
The Mandarin duck breeds in eastern Siberia, China, and Japan and winters in
southern China and Japan. There is a small free-flying population in Britain
stemming from the release captive bred ducks.
Biogeographic Regions:
palearctic (native ); oriental (native ).
Habitat
The Mandarin lives in the forests of China and Japan. They prefer wooded
ponds and fast flowing rocky streams to swim, wade, and feed in.
Physical Description
Mass
428 to 693 g
(15.07 to 24.39 oz)
In full plumage, the male has a pair of "sail" feathers that are raised
vertically above the back, a crest of orange and cream feathers, and a broad
white eye-stripe that is bounded above and below by darker feathers. The
female is duller in color and has an overall grey appearance marked by a
curving white stripe behind the eye and a series of white blotches on the
underparts. In flight, both sexes display a bluish-green iridescent
speculum.
Reproduction
Eggs per season
9 to 12
Mandarin courtship display is very impressive and includes mock-drinking and
shaking. Pairs are formed at the beginning of the winter and may continue
for many seasons. Although the female chooses the exact nesting site, the
male accompanies the female on nest searches. Nest are alway in a hole in a
tree and can be up to thirty feet from the ground. In preparation for egg
laying, the female lines the nest is with down. Clutch sizes range from nine
to twelve white oval eggs that are laid at daily intervals. Incubation is
solely performed by the female and last between 28 and 30 days. When all the
eggs are hatched (they hatch within a few hours of each other), the mother
calls to the chicks from the ground. Each chick then crawls out of the hole
and launches itself into a free fall. Amazingly, all the chicks land unhurt
and are en route to the nearest feeding ground. Once the chicks are able to
fly (after 40-45 days), they leave to join a new flock.
Behaviour
In the Far East, Mandarins are migratory. Some of the ducks in England also
make long-distance flights. Most ducks in the British population, however,
are sedentary. These birds have been known to cover 500 miles in 24 hours.
Key behaviors:
flies; motile ; migratory ; social .
Food Habits
The Mandarin Duck's basic diet consists of water plants, rice and other
grains.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
They have been exported to the west, namely Britain, since 1745. They
are bred in captivity by European avicultururalists.
Conservation Status
Derstruction of habitat has had a severe impact on the oriental
populations of Mandarins. In 1911, the Tung Ling forest, a Mandarin
stronghold, was opened up for settlement and thereafter forests were
cleared. By 1928 few sufficient breeding areas remained. The current Asian
population may be under 20,000 birds. One factor that has helped the
Mandarin to survive is their bad taste. These ducks are not hunted for food.