From Wildlife Extra:
Leucistic mandarin duck in Yorkshire
January 2013. Wildlife Extra reader Margaret Richardson has sent us this photo of a very pale Mandarin duck that has appeared on her local pond this winter.
Margaret said “The Male Mandarin Duck has spent the winter on the pond for the last two winters and seems to have returned again this year with a Leucistic female.”
Mandarin ducks
The species was once widespread in eastern Asia, but habitat destruction and an unsustainable level of exports for the pet trade reduced populations in Russia and China tojust a few hundred pairs in each country, whereas there are estimated to be 7000 pairs in UK, where the bird isn’t even a native, as a result of escapes and releases. Japan still has a healthy population.
Leucism
The patches are caused by leucism; Leucism is a very unusual condition whereby the pigmentation cells in an animal or bird fail to develop properly. This can result in unusual white patches appearing on the animal, or, more rarely, completely white creatures.
Click here to see our gallery of albino and leucistic animals and birds.
This video is about a normally coloured male mandarin duck.
This video is called Brave little mandarin ducklings (Earth).
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Those are beautiful ducks. But I am just wondering does that pale Mandarian duck only have one leg? I only see one leg. I could be mistaken though.
I think the female mandarin duck probably has one leg tucked under a wing. Many birds with two legs often stand on one leg, with the other leg tucked undfer a wing.
Are so nice, very cute I like your post!
Indeed, Adeena. The male, the female and the youngsters are all beautiful!
Reblogged this on Ann Novek–With the Sky as the Ceiling and the Heart Outdoors.
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