# What is this duck?



## lreigler (Dec 23, 2009)

Fiance's dad is big into photography, he often takes pictures of ducks because he knows i like them. He doesn't know too much about the species though. He sent us these pictures tonight, taken today in southern Michigan.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

mandarin.

had a duck breeder here locally for years. he always had a few in his pens. that bird is either a release or hes lost.


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## maddiedog (Nov 21, 2008)

Mandarin

Sorry didn't see kids post


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

I think the west coast has has a sustaining population of them.


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## carsonr2 (Jan 15, 2009)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> I think the west coast has has a sustaining population of them.


Also a small population in the mountains in NC around Asheville. They are captive bred, but have spread from the pond they call home. A buddy shot one a few years ago out of a flock of woodducks near Lenoir, NC.


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

Basically an Asian wood duck. The hens look identical.


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## Jimw (Jul 8, 2009)

I was actually able to dig up a pic I took about 6 yrs ago while doing a job in Black Mountain, NC of the group of mandarin ducks Carson is talking about..


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## Shlwego (Sep 13, 2006)

Northern California and England now have breeding populations of Mandarins too. As others have mentioned, they are very closely related to Wood Ducks and the hens are virtually identical, as are the nesting habits. I wonder if there could be an issue with hybridization sometime down the road in the areas where Mandarins have gone wild?


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## carsonr2 (Jan 15, 2009)

I wondered if you still had that picture Jim, good stuff.

Troy mounted that one he shot in Lenoir.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

You're supposed to eat those with some plum sauce :evil:


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