A community for people who like birds, birdwatching and birding in general!
Feel free to share your photos and other birding-related content here. If a photo you post isn't yours, please credit the original creator! Additionally, it would be appreciated if the location of the sighting and a date were given when a photo or question is posted. You do not have to give the precise location, something like "Northern Idaho, June 2023" or even "North-Western US, June 2023" suffices.
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
Such a beautiful duck here. Wow.
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.
They actually nest in trees!
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
Very nice pictures!