13 April 2014

Mandarin (duck)

It was a total surprise to see the Mandarin species, native to East Asia, in the wetlands habitat at Taronga Zoo.  I've seen them before on others blogs and always amazed at their striking colour palette.

Their speed too was quite the surprise; the fact that they go underwater and propel themselves along so swiftly.





..in this short video you will also see momentarily, a Javanese Finch (Sparrow), and a Royal Spoonbill.

27 comments:

Elizabeth Edwards said...

gorgeous!! going to watch your fun video now. ( :

eileeninmd said...

The Mandarin duck is beautiful. Lovely photos and video!

Ela said...

Wow ! Beautiful pictures and video.
They are so gorgeous !
Greetings

Irma said...

Beautiful pictures of the mandarin duck, Carole.
Video is also beautiful.
Greetings Irma

Willow said...

Such beautiful ducks. Those carp must take jabs at their feet every now and then , they sure get out of their way fast .lol

TexWisGirl said...

i'd love to see them in person as they certainly rival the colors of our wood ducks. :) i liked the huge koi or carp in the pond, too.

Montanagirl said...

Those Mandarins are just so gorgeous, and I really enjoyed the video and getting to see the Finch and the Spoonbill.

Carol Mattingly said...

You captured them beautifully. Such color.

Marilyn said...

Gorgeous. They look like they are painted.

Anonymous said...

oh lovely birds. So colorful!

Brian King said...

These guys are gorgeous! I've never seen one in person.

Lisa Gordon said...

These ducks never cease to amaze me.
They are so gorgeous.

Jen said...

Love all those beautiful colors.

Jan Castle said...

GORGEOUS birds Carole...they are so colorful, they do not look real! Great pics!!!
Jan

Bob Bushell said...

A nice place to go, and full of things to see.

Isidro Ortiz said...

Estos patos me encanta,son preciosos.Las capturas y video estan muy bien.Un abrazo

Rhodesia said...

Beautiful birds and stunning photos. Have a good week Diane

Dzjiedzjee said...

Due to a lot of 'hustle and bustle' I haven't been on your blog for a long time. Sorry for that Carole! Finally I found some time now and I've watched your posts and I read it with a lot of pleasure. :-)

Hope you'll have a great week
http://dzjiedzjee.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

They would have to be the prettiest ducks I have ever seen Carole.

Sharon Wagner said...

Wow! Glamorous ducks.

Evelyn S. said...

How can one bird have so many fabulous colors, designs, and interesting body shapes?? Delightful!

Susan said...

I'm always in awe of these beautiful ducks. Their luminescent colours are so striking.
The video was beaut to watch as well with them cleaning their feathers and bathing.
I also loved the added bonus of the koi - a favourite of mine.
Thank you :D)

Liz said...

Oh wow! They are so gorgeous! I too have seen them on other people's blogs but never in real life.

orchid0324 said...

Dearest Carole;
What beautiful and colorful duck the Mandarin duck are♡♡♡ I DO wish I could see them :-)

Sending you Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

Phil Slade said...

Hi Carole,Such a lovely duck but almost unreal due to its spectacular plumage. We have them here, mostly in wildfowl collections but escapees over the years have established a feral population.

Wally Jones said...

It's always stunning to encounter these really colorful ducks at our local city pond.
Enjoyed the video!

Gail Dixon said...

What a stunning duck! It's on my wish list, though I doubt I'll ever see one in person.