The male Mandarin is the most beautiful of all ducks. 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.
The male’s chestnut and green crest and the bright orange “sails” on his back are distinctive. For most of the summer, however, the male Mandarin duck loses his distinctive plumage and looks almost like a female Mandarin. Following the breeding season, the males molt all of their colorful feathers, which do not re-grow until sometime in the fall.
