The Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) is known for being one of the prettiest ducks in the world with its orange cheeks and tail feathers decorated with a white trim and a crest of blue and red. The vibrant colouration and ornate patterning has lead to the downfall of this species as many Mandarin Ducks are unfortunately taken out of the wild to fuel the pet trade. This along with habitat loss has caused their numbers to plummet to only a few thousand in their mainland range of China and Russia. Wild caught ducks are shipped worldwide to areas such as North America and Europe, and every so often, some of these beautiful ducks escape, and survive year after year. In some areas such as the United States and Europe, breeding populations of Mandarin Ducks have become established. Although there is no evidence to suggest that they have become invasive, they have however, been known to compete with some native species. In England, escaped Mandarin Ducks have been observed competing with native Barn Owls and Tawny Owls for nesting spots. Despite this competition, there is no evidence to suggest this has an effect on the population of these native species. Tawny Owls have even been observed laying their eggs in the nests of Mandarin Ducks, which would have been quite the surprise for the ducks when two baby owls hatched with their ducklings.
Having heard of an escaped Mandarin Duck in the area, my friend Eric and myself went to try and find him. We headed to Wesley Brooks in Newmarket where the duck was last spotted, as soon as we got there we were welcomed by five Trumpeter Swans flying overhead and noticed a rather unusual pigeon in the distance. Looking through the binoculars, we discovered that it was actually a Peregrine Falcon, a first for the year and a species eBird deemed worthy of a Rare Bird Alert. Not far into the park, someone assumed we were birders (likely based on our binoculars), and said if we were looking for the duck it was just down the path and that there were some people already there with cameras. This takes some of the fun out of finding the bird but sure enough, as we continued, there were about three photographers shooting the Mandarin Duck. The duck was amongst a sord of mallards, slightly smaller, his colours made him stand out. Despite this, he was constantly moving back and forth and darting out from behind bushes making him difficult to photograph. I got a few photos I was happy with before we continued down the trail to see what else we could find.
Walking down the trail, we eventually walked to McKenzie Wetland. There, in some conifers we were fortunate to observe several species of finch such as House Finches, American Goldfinches, Dark-Eyed Juncos and Common Redpolls. I was most entranced by the Pine Siskins however, as they are a species I lacked photographs of. Having gotten my shots we continued until we encountered a board walk going through a swamp. The swamp was largely made up of Swamp Oak, and although their leaves had all fallen, they were a delightful tree to observe with their unusual bark and branch configuration. Walking back to the car, we passed by the Mandarin Duck once more where I got some photos with the dusky lighting before my camera ran out of battery, a sign to head home.
We later learned that the Mandarin Duck of Newmarket is named Eddie and belongs to a local farm and animal sanctuary. His owner, Tracey Harpley stated in an interview with CTV News that she is glad people have enjoyed seeing Eddie but thinks it's about time he comes home. She had been frequenting the park hoping to catch him and had even set up a small pen with feed, hoping he would go inside, remembering his usual routine. Luckily, on the 13th of January, Animal Control Officers finally caught up to Eddie at the All Our Kids Playpark, just north of Wesley Brooks, and brought him back home to both his partner Wilma and his worried owners.
Queen, Lisa. "Eddie, the Wayward Mandarin Duck at Newmarket's Fairy Lake, Heads Back Home." York Region.com, 13 Jan. 2021,
www.yorkregion.com/news-story/10307809-eddie-the-wayward-mandarin-duck-at-newmarket-s-fairy-lake-heads-back-home/.
Strong, Gregory. "Mandarin Duck Escapes Newmarket, Ont. Farm, Becomes Hit in Town." CTV News, 10 Jan. 2021,
toronto.ctvnews.ca/mandarin-duck-escapes-newmarket-ont-farm-becomes-hit-in-town-1.5261079.
Van Kleunen, Andre, and Adrienne Lemaire. "A Risk Assessment of Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) in the Netherlands." Sovon Bird Research Netherlands, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, 2014,
www.sovon.nl/sites/default/files/doc/Rap_2014-15_Mandarijneend.pdf.
www.yorkregion.com/news-story/10307809-eddie-the-wayward-mandarin-duck-at-newmarket-s-fairy-lake-heads-back-home/.
Strong, Gregory. "Mandarin Duck Escapes Newmarket, Ont. Farm, Becomes Hit in Town." CTV News, 10 Jan. 2021,
toronto.ctvnews.ca/mandarin-duck-escapes-newmarket-ont-farm-becomes-hit-in-town-1.5261079.
Van Kleunen, Andre, and Adrienne Lemaire. "A Risk Assessment of Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) in the Netherlands." Sovon Bird Research Netherlands, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, 2014,
www.sovon.nl/sites/default/files/doc/Rap_2014-15_Mandarijneend.pdf.