Why is Instagram Obsessed With a Mysteriously Mandarin Duck?

By Ewelina Lepionko

With its strikingly colorful feathers and unique shape, it really is like no other animal we have ever seen before.

The most beautiful waterfowl most people had ever set eyes on, he has a peaked crown of plumage, fluffy violet breast, and wings blocked in white, blue, and orange like a cubist painting of a flame.

As you may see from the photos, they are multi-colored.

The Mandarin Duck is an exotic bird belonging to the genus Aix. The duck is known to be the most beautiful duck in the world. They are given this honor because of their extremely colorful plumage which has orange sails on the breast. Such beautiful feathers are found in both the male and females of their population. 

Both males and females have a red bill which helps them to catch fish and other small insects and worms as part of their diet. The population of these ducks is native to East Asia in counties such as China and Japan. 

While the mandarin duck is widespread, this expansion did not happen naturally. The ducks were imported to England in the mid-18th century because of their beautiful colors. However, they didn't begin to breed in the wild until the 1930s after escaping from private grounds. As of the mid-1980s, the British population was estimated to be approximately 7,000 ducks.2
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They usually eat plants and seeds but are known to enjoy the odd snail, insect, or small fish to their diet, depending on the season.

The male mandarin duck has found fame after he appeared in Central Park. The duck's vibrant appearance is perhaps the perfect Instagram fodder and may go some way to explain his rapid rise to social media stardom. The platform has since seen thousands of posts using the hashtag #MandarinDuck.

Mandarin ducks are known to symbolize fidelity and love. They mark stability in romantic relationships. As a result, these ducks are very popularly used as a symbol at weddings. This is especially seen in China. They can be seen in various art forms of China as well as they are a part of the culture. In China, the ducks have also made their way into traditional folklore. People in China see these Mandarins as a sign of happy and stable marriages.
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These ducks are in fact in high demand as pets. The reason for their popularity lies in their incomparable beauty. For about $300 you can buy a breeding pair online. 

The estimated global population of the Mandarin duck is 65,000-66,000. The Mandarin duck is a relatively rare bird and hence it has a small population, which is slowly declining.