Description
The White Mandarin in it's own rights is
considered by most as one of the most ornamental of the
world's ducks, the White Mandarin Duck is a very popular
aviary bird and commonly seen in many collections.
They are closely related to the North American Wood
Duck and both species are the only members of the
genus. Despite the close relationship, there have been
only a few reports of hybridization, but none have
ever been documented or proven.
White Mandarins are NOT Hybrids, they are in fact
a Mutation which occurs naturally in the wild. The
reason it is not seen often is that these lighter
colored birds are often preyed upon because of their
light color which makes them stand out. The drake is one of world's most beautiful ducks
and quite unlike any other species. The forehead is a
light buff color trailing all the way down the back of
the neck. The breast is also a light buff color with
very pale buff barring across the breast. The side flanks are
white and the wing feathers are all white feathering, as well as the tail feathers. The under
belly is a pure white. The hen is a pure white with no
other markings other than on a few you will notice
some extremely light buff on the crest.
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