MANDARIN DUCK

Feb. 15, 2021

Floating in the Maguri-Motapung beel (or wetland) in Assam’s Tinsukia district for over a week is the spectacular and rare Mandarin duck. First spotted on February 8 by Madhab Gogoi, the duck has since become the star of the wetland.

About:

  • Considered the most beautiful duck in the world, the Mandarin duck, or the (Aix galericulata) was first identified by Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758.

  • It is a “small-exotic looking bird” native to East Asia.

  • The migratory duck breeds in Russia, Korea, Japan and north-eastern parts of China, explained Gogoi. It now has established populations in Western Europe and America too.

  • The duck, however, rarely visits India as it does not fall in its usual migratory route.

  • Its IUCN Status is Least Concern.

  • While the duck is not a globally threatened species, spotting one is always considered significant because they only make “rare appearances.”