A friend e-mailed this picture of a pair of Mandarin ducks who have just begun nesting outside his back door! They are beautiful birds, he's very lucky to have them. He's now cautious about using his backdoor as he doesn't want to disturb them.
Mandarins aren't native species to the UK are they? I think they were introduced or something, like the Ruddy Duck and the Egyptian Goose.
I unfortunately haven't ever seen a Mandarin, but I most probably have when I was young as I went down to Lake Meadows in Billericay. I think that becasue I was a baby, I can't remember!
They are magnificent birds; their colours are really nice. Not good for keeping away from predators though!
I saw a Mandarin drake on the Bridgewater Canal one year! I had not realised that they had become established in England, so I was quite shocked (but delighted). They don't seem to have pushed other birds out, so I don't know what the ecological consequences are of having them established here, but it would be interesting to know.
Kingfisher
I saw a Mandarin drake on the Bridgewater Canal one year! I had not realised that they had become established in England, so I was quite shocked (but delighted). They don't seem to have pushed other birds out, so I don't know what the ecological consequences are of having them established here, but it would be interesting to know.
Kingfisher
Dont think there are any ecological consequences identified at present due to the relatively low numbers breeding in the UK. Theres a few pairs in Devon too.
I saw a pair of Mandarin Ducks at warnham nature reserve in west sussex a few weeeks ago
They are resident at a local reserve near me (Connaught Water in Chingford) and there are probably about 8 pairs.