Mandarin Duck that is! I was very lucky, in many ways, to go to Burnaby Lake the other day and find this beautiful duck swimming around. I say luck in many ways because, first and foremost, Mandarin Ducks are not native to Canada, second, he is not always there (as I found out the next day), and third, I didn’t know anything about him or that he was a resident of Burnaby Lake (and apparently Deer Lake where he spends his off days).
They have named him Trevor, something about a villain in an Ironman movie. I think I am going to rename him though (just for me and just for this post)… he needs a Mandarin name. Maybe Meili, which means beautiful.
No one seems to know how Meili got to being a resident of Burnaby and Deer Lakes but I would guess that he was someones pet. You can buy these guys, I googled it so it must be true.
The Mandarin is native to East Asia and has been introduced as a prized species in private collections in Europe and North America. So he probably got loose or was set free to see what would happen.
He is thriving and apparently has a Wood Duck girlfriend now. Mandarin and Wood Ducks are closely related. Here is “Meili” now in all his glorious splendor!
I did get many more pictures of many different species that I am hoping to get into posts next week. But now it is off to the Green Cabin for Thanksgiving celebrations.
Such beautiful colours on the duck!
He really is spectacular, isn’t he? I will need to go back one day and hope he’s around.