Hunting for tangerine (Dubrovka)

Drake in breeding plumage is dressed very nice and varied: green craw and crown with bright purple stripes. The back of the head and a large crest on top of copper-red. The rest of the crest is glossy blue-green.

The front part of the head of the duck is pale-red. Cheeks, chin and neck are bright red. From the eye to the back of the head is gradually tapered white stripe. The upper torso of a dark-olive color, sometimes with greenish and brownish hue. The front of the neck and bottom part of the goiter shiny, copper-red. On the sides of the chest are three black and three white curved stripes. The flanks are gray-green, speckled with black and grayish-white transverse wavy stripes.

The underparts are white. Wing coverts olive-brown. The same color and the primaries are, but they are on the outer edge have the silver bezel and on the inner webs – brilliant green edges. The mirror bright, green. The beak is bright red, feet yellow, eyes dark brown.

It is a small duck, also called the Japanese and duplocoll. The average weight of duck of about 620, and the ducks about 500 grams.

In the female the crown is grayish-slate, while the sides of the head and neck light gray. At the base of the beak white spot. Around eye white ring, turning into a narrow white stripe that runs to the back of the head. Upper torso the female has olive-brown. Goiter, the front part and sides of body brown, covered with whitish-olive spots. The lower part of the body white, wings olive-brown, the speculum bright green, with white stripes. The bill is brownish, with orange marigolds. Legs dirty yellow. On the head of the female has a large crest, but somewhat inferior size to the crest of the Drake.

In Russia, the Mandarin duck breeds in middle and lower reaches of the Amur, in the Ussuri Krai, and perhaps on Sakhalin, where it occurs in the summer. The main breeding range of the Mandarin is located on the Japanese Islands and on the island of Taiwan.

Wintering Mandarin duck in Japan and in southern China. Spring migration of these ducks in our country is observed from late March to late may. The autumn migration to the wintering grounds occurs in September – October. For nesting Mandarin elect river with Islands and channels located in the forests, and forest lakes with shores overgrown with willows; in the taiga zone birds prefer to nest in the floodplains of major rivers.

On breeding Mandarin appear in pairs, and the breeding period is accompanied by active currents drakes During the current Drake takes all sorts of bizarre poses and produces a melodic whistle.

Arrange duck nests in hollows of trees growing on the banks of the chosen reservoir, at considerable height, and sometimes to the ground. During the nesting Mandarin often sit on the branches of trees in search of a suitable tree. Very rarely ducks build nests on the ground with a safe shelter in dense vegetation or branches of fallen trees.

The clutch is from nine to twelve white eggs. Female incubates for about a month and sits on the nest very tightly without leaving a hollow, even when in immediate danger.
Hatching from eggs, the ducklings are very agile and dexterous independently jump from the tree to the accompaniment of the uterus go to the water, quickly swim and dive well. Broods feed mainly in the mornings and evenings, to swim out to the open stretches.

Shed Mandarin, like the rest of the ducks twice a year. At the time of moulting drakes gather in large flocks and mostly keep in the thickets of willows. Mandarins feed on both animal and plant food, readily eat a variety of seeds, acorns, grains and small shoots of cereals, often visiting for this winter wheat fields. Of animal food Mandarin prefer insects, including beetles, snails, and small fish. In August and September duck, connecting in small groups, make regular sorties to feed on fields sown with rice and buckwheat.

Flight Mandarin fast and very maneuverable from the ground and from the water they rise freely, almost vertically.

Typically, the Mandarin duck is a very silent duck, but in the spring, during the breeding season, continuously quacking, and her voice its melody is significantly different from the votes of other ducks.

Trade value Mandarin duck has not. In China and Japan it is domesticated and cultivated as ornamental bird. Hunters-athletes shoot it on the stairs and during the autumn flights to feeding grounds.

Somewhat apart is the kind of Kohala; they are distinguished from other ducks by the device of the beak: narrow, strongly elongated, with hook-like bent-down nail, and with a sharp Horny teeth on the edges of the jaws.

This is a small duck, also called Japanese and dublovka. The average weight of the drake is about 620, and the duck is about 500 grams.

The drake is in a wedding dress is dressed very beautifully and diversely: green has a goiter and a crown with bright purple stripes. The nape and crest are the big copper-red on top. The rest of The crested shining, blue-green. The front part of the Drake’s head is pale-red. Cheeks, chin and neck are bright red. From the eyes to the occiput there passes a gradually narrowing white band. The upper part of the body is dark olive in color, sometimes with a greenish tinge and brown. The front part of the neck from below and part of the goiter are shiny, copper-red.

On the sides of the chest are three black and three white arcuate strips. The sides of the trunk are gray-green, covered with black and grayish-white transverse striae strips. The underside of the body is white. The wing feathers are olive-brown. The same color and primary mahovye, but they have a silver rim along the outer edge, and glistening green peaks on the inner vanes. The mirror is shiny green. Beak bright red, yellow paws, eyes dark brown.

The female’s head is gray-aspid, and the sides of the head and neck are light gray. At the base of the beak is a white spot. Around the eyes is a white ring, passing into a narrow white stripe, going to the back of the head. The upper part of the body is olive-brown in the female. Goiter, anterior part and sides of the body are brown, covered with whitish spots olive. The lower part of the body is white, the wings are olive-brown, the mirror is shiny green, with a white strip. Beak is brownish, with an orange nail. Paws are dirty yellow. On the head of the female there is a large crest, but somewhat smaller than the size of the Drake’s cranium.

In Russia, the mandarin tree breeds along the middle and lower reaches of the Amur, in the Ussuri region and, possibly, on Sakhalin, where it meets in the summer. The main nesting area of the mandarin duck is on the Japanese islands and on the island of Taiwan.

The Mandarin hibernates in Japan and in South China. The spring migration of these ducks in our country is observed from the end of March to the end of May. Autumn migration to wintering places occurs in September – October. For the nesting of the mandarin, rivers with islands and channels located in the forests, and forest lakes with banks overgrown with lasagna, are selected; In the taiga zone, birds prefer to nest in the floodplains of large rivers.

At the nesting site, the mandarin dots appear already in pairs, and the breeding season is accompanied by active drakes currents. During the current, the drake takes all sorts of bizarre poses and issues a melodious whistle.

The nests of the duck are arranged in the hollows of trees growing on the shore of the chosen reservoir, at a rather considerable height, and sometimes even at the very ground. During the nesting period, mandarins often sit on tree branches in search of a suitable hollow. Very rarely do ducks build nests on the ground with reliable shelter dense vegetation or branches of fallen trees.
In the masonry there are from nine to twelve white eggs. Nasizhivaet female about a month and sits on the nest very firmly, without leaving the hollow, even with immediate danger.

The ducklings hatched from the eggs are very agile and dexterous: they jump out of the hollow out of the hole and, accompanied by the uterus, go to the pond where they swim swiftly and dive perfectly. Broods Feed mainly in the mornings and evenings, swim out to the open stretches.

Shed mandarin, like the other ducks, twice a year. During molting, drakes gather in large flocks and keep themselves in the thickets of the lair. Mandarins They eat both animal and vegetable food, eagerly eat various seeds, acorns, rice grains and small shoots of cereals, often visiting for this winter fields. Of the animal food mandarins prefer insects, including beetles, snails, as well as a medium-sized fish. In August and September ducks, joining small flocks, make regular departures for feeding on fields sown with rice and buckwheat.

The flight at Mandarin is fast and very maneuverable: from the ground and from the water they rise freely, almost vertically.

Usually mandarin duck is a very silent duck, but in the spring, during breeding, it croaks continuously, and its voice with its melodiousness differs significantly from the voices of other ducks.
The mandarin does not have any commercial value. In China and Japan, it was domesticated and bred as a decorative bird. Hunters-athletes shoot the mandarin orange on the flights and during the autumn flights to the fields for feeding.

Somewhat apart is the genus of krokhals; They differ from other ducks by the device of the beak: narrow, strongly elongated, with a hook-shaped curved nail and down with sharp horny teeth at the edges of the jaws.