LesTension

By LesTension

NOT WELL CAMOUFLAGED

Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata); drake.  The drakes are spectacularly colored and sexually dimorphic from females which are less ostentatious and mostly grayish/lavender but both retain the white eye ring.
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We don't get many Mandarins around here so it's a real treat to find one.  They are native to East Asia but have been domesticated to a degree and moved by humans to many parts of the world.  They often escape from collections which is no doubt true of this one.
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They are closely related to American Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa), the only other member of the genus Aix.  Wood duck drakes (also sexually dimorphic) are typically spectacularly colored, especially during breeding season.
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Best in Large.

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