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Mandarin Drake


Mandarin Drake
Photo Information
Copyright: Pam Russell (coasties) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3817 W: 505 N: 8098] (27718)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-04-09
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 10D, Tamron 28-300XR, Hoya UV 62mm
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Exotic Ducks Of The World [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-06-25 4:19
Viewed: 2969
Favorites: 4 [view]
Points: 54
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
It has been an awful week for me, I have been suffering with the 'flu and feeling very 'under the weather', so I thought it was time to post a bright beautiful bird, the Mandarin Duck.... my favourite of all the ducks. Here he is standing tall and proud. Hope you like him as much as I do. Thanks for popping by!

Mandarin Duck Scientific Name: Aix galericulata

Classification Class: Aves Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae

Physical Description
Male Mandarin ducks are considered by many to be the most beautifully colored of all waterfowl. The head of the male has a chestnut and green crest, a wide white stripe along the eye, a bright chestnut colored side and a red bill. The male's breast is plum colored, its belly is white, its back is dark and its sides are mottled buff. For most of the summer, the male Mandarin ducks do not have their distinctive plumage and look very much like the females. Following the breeding season, the males molt all of their colorful feathers, which do not re-grow until sometime in the fall. The female has a crested head with a white eye-ring, a gray-brown mottled back and a lighter spotted belly. She appears very similar to the female American wood duck as the two species are closely related. Mandarin ducks are one of the "perching" ducks. They have sharp talons and spend much of their time in trees.

Habitat: Mandarin ducks reside in wooded inland waters.

Diet: Mandarin ducks eat vegetable matter and invertebrates.

Life Span: Specific information on the Mandarin duck's life span is unavailable. However, the closely related American wood duck can live almost as long as 20 years.

Reproduction: Mandarin ducks have an elaborate courtship display involving whistling calls, raising of crests and sail feathers, head-bobbing and mutual preening. They nest in the holes of hollow tree trunks and use grass to cover the base of the nest cavity to which they add a soft layer of down. Primarily it is the female that incubates her clutch of 9–12 eggs. Chicks hatch after 28–30 days and, when just one day old, jump from the nest to the ground and head for water. The ducklings stay close to the female for about eight weeks at which time they are able to fly and fend for themselves. The male takes no role in the rearing process, leaving before the eggs hatch.

The above obtained from http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/index.php?id=3_1_4_7

IMAGE INFORMATION

Camera: Canon 10D
Time of date: 9th April 2005
Weather conditions: Clear
Lens: Tamron 28-300mm XR
Filter: Hoya 62mm UV
Shutter Speed: 1/750
F-Stop: F/5.6
Focal Length: 128mm
ISO: 400
dew77, Comandante, Janice, JeanMichel, TAZ, liquidsunshine, sAner, ellis49, red45, Fisher, carper, Clochette, greghume, wkshelton has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2005-06-25 4:22]

Hello Pam!
Great capture.Details are razor sharp and clear.Colors are amazing.I liked eyes and composition very much.TFS...:-)

Hi Pam, what a beautiful duck. Very good shot. Great POV and very good details.
Good visual impact. TFS.

Hello Pam!
Wonderful shot.I like mandrin ducks a lot.He is very pretty one.Colors,lighting and composition are excellent.Thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2005-06-25 4:41]

He is a beautiful bird Pam, and I've never seen one standing like this. He looks better swimming as his head doesn't look real - looks more like a mask. Wonderful capture Pam. Well done.
I hope you're feeling better...

A dream shot, Pam! So beautiful! You've got the best of this beautiful duck here, including a very nice pose. I won't mention the colors, they belong to the duck ;-), but you've enhanced these very well, using natural light on the best way. After a bad flu, viewing this should give you more punch next week! Have a good week-end.

Lovely shot Pam,
Excellent sharp detail, colours and composition. Really good job with the exposure and nice BG.
Well captured, thanks for posting
I hope you're feeling better very soon (The rugby should have cheered you up a bit!!)

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1490 W: 72 N: 1427] (4744)
  • [2005-06-25 6:32]

I just love these beautiful ducks and this is a grat photo! Wonderful, wonderful colors, razorsharp details, excellent pose and very good composition. This is great. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

Wow Pam, what a super sharp shot, the Cannon / Tamron combo has really done well here.
Don't think I've ever seen this species out of the water before, unique.
Great composition, it shows off his fine feathers in perfect detail. Great stuff.

hello:)
exellent shot :)
exellent colours:)
exellent DOF:)
exellent POV:)

TFS

Malgosia

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3067 W: 231 N: 6166] (21070)
  • [2005-06-25 11:21]

Funny and unusual pose for that mandarin duck. He sure was posing for you. Gorgeous colors and light, crisp details, and excellent composition. TFS and hope you feel better. : )

  • Great 
  • sela Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 45 W: 0 N: 39] (704)
  • [2005-06-25 11:39]

This is really top of the top. Wonderful!

Hi Pam!
What a colorful photo! Just superb pose and fantastic photo! I'm impressed!

A very beautiful picture, Pam.
Stunning colours, very good details, well composed and good POV.
Excellent work.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2005-06-25 15:31]

A duck, but very nice one ;-) I like its colours and pose. Good work Pam!

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2005-06-25 17:16]

Beautiful, Pam
Excellent composition and details. Well done on this capture.

Mike

  • Great 
  • Hisam Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 18 W: 1 N: 22] (215)
  • [2005-06-25 20:05]

Hi Pam
This is the most beautiful photo of a duck very sharp and colorfulExcellent

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2005-06-26 3:49]

Beautiful & interesting photo for this superb Mandarin ! Good pose and POV, great colors ! Thanks for sharing Pam.

  • Great 
  • VeTTe Gold Star Critiquer [C: 162 W: 0 N: 0] (684)
  • [2005-06-26 5:11]

wonderful colors; sharpen... thanks for sharing..

  • Great 
  • carper Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2009 W: 122 N: 2581] (8424)
  • [2005-06-26 14:20]

very nice one Pam,
a mandorin duck with an extreme big heat, I like the good colours and the composition,
it is nice to look at, great colours and good in pov, very good job Pam,
gr. Jaap

Hi Pam
As a matter of fact, this is one of the nicest duck I know. Its feathers are a pleasure for eyes.
I'm a bit surprised because I never noticed they could have a so long neck. I saw many of them, but they always were in a posture which hid this particularity.
Very sharp and detailed pic, congratulations Pam !

It is the first time when I have the occasion to see it standing and I find him magnificent. He has a hairstyle deserving of a big hairdresser, I see him very well in man of business. LOL
Colours are magnificent and details are magnificent.

C'est la première fois que j'ai l'occasion de le voir debout et je le trouve superbe. Il a une coupe de cheveux digne d'un grand coiffeur, je le vois très bien en homme d'affaire. LOL
Les couleurs sont magnifiques et les détails sont superbes.

  • Great 
  • optic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 322 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-07-01 11:23]

Hello Pam!
What a colorfull duck, very nice colours & details, dof + pov are great,

Well done!

Wow, amazing shot of this wonderful species. Wonderful focus, colors, and perspective.

Every photo of this bird amazes me because of the unlikely combination of colors. This is an exceptional shot as well. Brilliant color and sharp focus. Thanks for sharing this one, Pam.

  • Great 
  • ryyck Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 24 W: 0 N: 176] (994)
  • [2005-09-05 12:47]

Excelente!!! Bela ave, cores e tudo mais.

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 962 W: 0 N: 89] (7801)
  • [2006-03-09 12:26]

Hello Pam!
Wonderful shot and colorfull funny duck.and composition are excellent.
Thanks for sharing !
osse

Hell Pam

Very nice photo great coulors pov dof I love it.

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