Mandarin Duck

I went to Lake Rotoiti today to keep a friend company on the drive. At the lake was this incredibly coloured little duck happily swimming around with all the other common ducks. It looks more like a painted toy than a live bird.

It is thought that it has been released or escaped into the wild as someones pet. The other ducks have accepted it well, and the Department of Conservation folk are not worried as the local native ducks have already interbred with other varieties. They have said this one is a Manderin duck.

I wonder if it will breed with the other ducks? It could get very colourful at the lake in the future.