Mandarin Ducks in Sanssouci Park

The Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) is a waterfowl species native to East Asia. The sexes differ markedly in appearance: breeding males have a red bill, white facial crescent, purple breast, and upright orange “sail” feathers, while females are predominantly gray-brown with a white eye-ring.

Free-living European populations developed largely from ornamental birds that escaped or were released from captivity. The Berlin–Potsdam region supports an established population, and these photographs document a male in Sanssouci Park in 2017.

Mandarin ducks inhabit ponds, lakes, and streams bordered by trees and protective vegetation. Their varied diet includes seeds, acorns, nuts, aquatic plants, insects, worms, and molluscs. Northern populations within the species’ native Asian range migrate seasonally, while introduced populations in Germany are generally resident.

Females nest in tree cavities, sometimes several metres above the ground, and usually lay nine to twelve eggs. The female incubates the clutch for approximately 28 to 30 days. Soon after hatching, the ducklings leave the cavity by jumping to the ground and follow the female to nearby water.