Male Mandarin Duck preening itself. The female was obscured by vegetation, which is a shame because they have a subtle beauty to them so different from the flashy male.
Canon R6 + RF800mm, 1/1250s
this post was submitted on 07 May 2024
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I love it! The photosheet pretty effectively captures the behaviour, in this case preening. I notice the webbed feet and think "those don't look too handy for gripping onto a branch". Do you have a photo from a greater (perceived) distance away to show how high up from the ground they are, etc.?
They actually nest in trees!
This one is kinda proof of the claim, I alas don't have any better
P.S. in case it's not obvious, that's the female!
You rock, Kevin! Thank you.
That's super unexpected based on their feet. I'd guess there's an interesting adaptation story there. I love your b-side photos! I agree with you that the female is also beautiful in a more subtle way