Mandarin duck or the (Aix galericulata)

Mandarin duck or the (Aix galericulata)

Subject: Environment

Context: Considered the most beautiful duck in the world, the Mandarin duck made an appearance in Assam’s Tinsukia last week after more than a century.

Concept:

• It was found in Maguri-Motapungbeel (or wetland) in Assam’s Tinsukia district.
• It is a “small-exotic looking bird” native to East Asia. “It’s very beautiful, with majestic colours and can be spotted from a distance
• In this species the males (ornate with big orangey ‘sail fins’ on the back, streaked orangey cheeks, and a small red bill with a whitish tip) are more colourful than the females (narrow white spectacles on a shaggy grey head, bold pale dappled spots along flanks, and pale bill tip).
• It is a migratory bird and breeds in Russia, Korea, Japan and northeastern parts of China. It has established populations in Western Europe and America too.
• It is rarely seen in India as it is not in its migratory path. It seems it strayed from its path.
• It is not a threatened bird species as it is under “Least Concern” under IUCN.