Mandarin

Origin:  China

Category:  Miniature or Bantam

Egg Colour:

Sitter:

Note: Not in the official Australian Poultry Standards  

This miniature duck, like the Carolina Wood duck, belongs to a different genus than the Mallard family, being one of the several varieties of wood ducks. It is reputed to be the most gorgeous of all waterfowl, but that is true only in a qualified sense, i.e., while the drake is in his 'nuptial' plumage. In his 'eclipse' moult he is much plainer than the Wood drake at this season of the year when the Mandarin loses his crest, fans and hackles; while the female Mandarin is appreciably less brilliant at all seasons than is her Wood duck cousin; so upon the whole a flock of Wood ducks will average more attractive than one of Mandarins.

The most striking feature of the mandarin drake lies in his peculiar fan-shaped shield growing out of his tertials over each wing. This shield is highly colored and carried at almost right angles to the wing itself and, therefore, is very conspicuous. He is a very vain bird and is given to strutting his finery much like a turkey gobbler, or a peacock. In size and habits, the Mandarin resembles the Wood duck and comprises one of the smaller members of the duck family. Notwithstanding the drakes have a reputation for being very pugnacious and are vicious fighters, despite their diminutive size. While rather shy in its wild state, it responds fairly well to domestication and breeds in artificial environments. It is a native of China, as its name suggests, and the integrity of its color patterns and hues are of greatest importance in appraising the excellence of the specimen, since they tend to fade under domestication.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

HEAD: Fairly large, the apparent size being augmented by the long narrow crest, especially when erected, which extends well back on the neck when relaxed, and also, by the whisker-like feathers growing from the face and upper neck in the drake. The face of the female is without whiskers and the crest is smaller than in the drake, causing her head to appear correspondingly smaller.

BILL: Little longer than in the Wood duck.

EYES: Very brilliant, slightly lower in the skull than those of the Wood duck, and noticeably large for the size of the bird.

NECK: Medium length and with little taper; nicely curved and embellished with long hackle-like feathers in the drake, which he loses during the summer moult, along with his crest.

BACK: Moderately long and oval in cross section.

TAIL: Main tail feathers comparatively short, the under coverts extending well beyond the tail itself.

WINGS: Strong and neat. Those of the drake featuring, except in the summer moult, almost erect fanlike shields growing out of the tertials.

BODY: Round, trim and with only moderately plump breast and shallow abdomen.

LEGS: Medium length, creating a somewhat higher station than is typical for the Wood duck and also set slightly farther back to promote a slightly less horizontal carriage. Feet; rather small but sinewy equipped with claw-like nails.

PLUMAGE: Exceedingly hard, tight and highly colored in the drake.

WEIGHTS: About one to one and one half pounds.

COLOR OF MALE

HEAD: Crown and crest; a metallic copper green, shading first to purple then to chestnut and green in outer crest feathers. A narrow line of creamy white at the base of the bill expands into a broader band, extending over the eye, then tapering to a point well into the crest at the rear. Face; similar to upper neck in color.

BILL: Crimson, shading slightly lighter toward the tip and ending in a light colored bean.

EYES: Dark brown, nearly black.

NECK: Upper sides including ruffle, or neck hackle, rich chestnut red. Lower front of neck; matching upper breast color.

BACK: Brilliant green-glossed brown, narrowly bordered on either side with steel blue.

TAIL: Green-glossed brown. Under tail cushion; white.

WINGS: Scapulars and bows; bright greenish brown. Tertials; except for shields or fans, violet brown. Shields; brilliant sorrel bay, edged with bluish green. Secondaries; dark brownish slate on inner webs; outer webs, edged with silvery white, except for a broad iridescent purple speculum bordered on each side with light, approaching white, bars. Primaries; brownish slate with outer webs showing a greenish cast and edged with white, and ending with tips of iridescent blue.

BODY: Upper breast; violet crimson, flanked on either side at the shoulders and wing butts with two prominent crescent shaped bars of white or creamy white, boldly edged with black. Sides of body; a sort of buff gray, suffused with green and traversely penciled with minute lines of a deeper shade. Under body from lower breast to vent; white. Thigh coverts; similar to body color, but tinged with glossy chestnut and the larger feathers tipped with alternate black and white crescent shaped bands.

SHANKS AND FEET: Orange, to salmon yellow.

COLOR OF FEMALE

HEAD: Crown and crest; grayish green, becoming darker toward the rear. A line of white from around the eye extends to a tapered point well into the crest. Lower face, chin and throat; white, or creamy white.

BILL: Horn color, with pale colored bean and pale patches above each nostril.

EYES: Same as in drake.

NECK: Front; very light gray, approaching white, but shading darker toward the back and toward the base.

BACK: Greenish brown, somewhat mottled with gray at the shoulders.

TAIL: Brownish slate. Under cushion to tail; white.

WINGS: Scapulars; greenish brown. Tertials; similar to back in color. Bows; brownish gray, somewhat mottled with greenish gray. Secondaries; dark brownish slate, edged with silvery white and with purple speculum as in the drake. Primaries; similar to those of the drake.*

BODY: Upper sections; greenish brown, boldly mottled, or flecked, with light gray, but shading lighter until it becomes virtually white over the under parts.

BREAST: Greenish brown, rather finely flecked with light gray.

SHANKS AND FEET: Dull greenish yellow, to yellowish brown.

• Any difficulty in distinguishing the Mandarin female from the Wood duck female can readily be resolved by referring to the under side of the wing, which is plain brownish gray in the Mandarin, but coarsely penciled black and white in the Wood duck.

SOURCES

• Universal Waterfowl Standard and Judging Guide. Grow, Oscar, 1882 Published: Milwaukee, American Waterfowl Assoc., inc. [c1956] https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009057486