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Mr Mandarin


Mr Mandarin
Photo Information
Copyright: Janice Dunn (Janice) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-11-20
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 300D, Tamron 28-300 XR
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Exotic Ducks Of The World [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-11-23 2:46
Viewed: 1270
Points: 37
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulata

Don’t you just love this beauty?

Mr Mandarin has the most elaborate and ornate plumage with distinctive long orange feathers on the side of the face, orange 'sails' on the back, and pale orange flanks. He has a chestnut and green crest, a wide white stripe along the eye, a bright chestnut coloured side and a red bill. The male's breast is plum coloured, its belly is white, its back is dark and its sides are mottled buff. He is considered by many to be the most beautifully coloured of all waterfowl.

The Mandarin Duck originated in China and their native range is eastern Asia and Japan, but they can be found almost anywhere there is a suitable habitat.

Reproduction: 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.

www.honoluluzoo.org/mandarin_duck.htm
www.animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Aix_galericulata.html
fiyo, TAZ, wallhalla15, livios, sAner, dew77, marhowie, hummingbird24, alejandroguzman, magiqa has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To RII: ThanksJanice 1 12-10 04:39
To marhowie: Happy Thanksgiving to youJanice 1 11-25 04:46
To cafecrem: Hey JoannaJanice 1 11-23 02:57
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Janice :-)
What a blusterous duck Janice :-)
Nice pose and great close-up!

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3068 W: 231 N: 6168] (21078)
  • [2005-11-23 3:43]

A beauty indeed, Janice. Great job on this mandarin duck, with sharp details and gorgeous colors. Well done and TFS. : )

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2005-11-23 3:48]

Wow Janice! This is real DUCK! Pompous DUCK I may say ;-) Lovely pose, colours and subject itself. Also common in Poland, its name is very adequate ;-)

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 987 W: 5 N: 2764] (10622)
  • [2005-11-23 5:57]

Hello Janice,
Wonderful shot! POV,colors,sharpness and composition are excellent.TFS

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2005-11-23 7:13]

Mr Mandarin is very smart and Janice make a wonderful shot of him ;-) Perhaps less space on bottom and more on top of the composition... I also appreciate the complementary note. Congratulations Janice and thanks for sharing.

Hello Janice,
a very nice capture. Excellent colours and very good sharp details. Composition and POV are great also. Very well done. Thaks for sharing.

Hi Janice,

A slight Mona Lisa smile from the duck. A beauty and well done on the composition and details.

Mike

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2156 W: 322 N: 4258] (16906)
  • [2005-11-23 11:49]

Janice, a beauty indeed.

Excellent pov, composition and colors.

A very nice bird, a great photo.

I do enjoy the pose.

Janice, your Mandarin duck is one of the most handsomest that I've ever seen. Excellent POV and great lighting. :)

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1490 W: 72 N: 1427] (4744)
  • [2005-11-23 13:55]

Great shot Janice. Very nice colors, sharp details and excellent DOF & POV. Maybe a wee bit too centered, maybe not. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

Hi Janice,
this duck is so wonderful, and he knows that he's pretty, he's realy posing in front of your camera. Beautiful shot with excellent sharpness, very good job, thanks
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2005-11-23 16:48]

Hi Jancie,
I love this beauty...Very good capture!
Looks like a young casanova;) TFS

  • Good 
  • klemmg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 302 W: 40 N: 484] (1719)
  • [2005-11-23 23:17]

Great pose you captured, with good detail and beautiful colours. Grass as BG I just don't like so much, as it is difficult to isolate the subject from the BG. I'll admit one usually does not get to freely choose the BG ... I like the low POV and eye contact. Well done!
Regards,
Gabi

Hi Janice,
It's a beautiful duck you have caught.
The colours are lovely. Well composed, nice pose and good POV.
Well done.

Very nice quacker Janice! Very good detail, colors and exposure..Excellent note. Funny - Mandarin Duck's on the menu today rather than the traditional turkey..Good for the turkey, bad for the duck I guess ;-)
Thank you on our Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. Pts later.

Hello Janice,

Mr Mandarin seems like a perky fellow, in this wonderful shot.

Beautiful details, colors, POV, lighting, and catchlight.

Thank you for sharing him with us.

This is a beauty. My neighbour has a pair breeding in his garden. Well done.

Another beautiful picture Janice,
also very well composed, AMAZING colors, and an excellent DOF.

Hugs
Alejandro

Hi Janice,
what an excellentphoto of a beautiful bird! I have never seen this bird in real life.
Regards Monica

  • Great 
  • RII Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 485 W: 0 N: 884] (2812)
  • [2005-12-09 22:54]
  • [+]

Hi Jancie.
Duck smiley? nice pose, great composition,very nice photo.
Saludos...RICARDO.

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