Mandarins in The Forest 27th February 2024

On a dismal day of grey and cold, a trip to the Forest of Dean, primarily to see the Hawfinches at Parkend was further enlivened by a subsequent visit later in the morning to nearby Cannop Ponds to see the incredible Mandarin Ducks that are such a well known feature of this small and popular lake in the heart of the forest.

Mandarin Ducks are natives of China and Japan but after being imported into Britain in the eighteenth century to be kept in various wildfowl collections, some birds escaped from the collection of one Alfred Ezra at Foxwarren Park near Cobham in Surrey around 1930, got it together to commence breeding. and now their descendants are to be found in most of the Home Counties, especially at Virginia Water in Surrey and Windsor Great Park in Berkshire, two traditional strongholds. Still increasing but only slowly, Mandarins can also be found in Hampshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire with even a population as far north as Perthshire in Scotland and others in Co Down in Northern Ireland. Their current population numbers around 7000 individuals in the wild and, having long since become naturalised, they are now arguably the most spectacular and beautiful of our native avifauna. 

Today there were a dozen swimming around the lake's margins or loafing, as they are wont to do, beneath the overhanging branches of the many trees bordering the lake.The drake's plumage is almost beyond belief, multi coloured and forming complex patterns, its head an exuberant conglomeration of bright chestnut, emerald and white with a ruff of orange part overlaying a breast of iridescent purple.Two orange sails sit proud as the drakes drift like some fantastical animated toy over the grey green water of the lake, each drake squiring his dull coloured mate wherever she goes.

Most were paired but were still content to associate with the small majority of unattached males.They show a marked preference for wooded ponds and lakes, liking to lurk, semi concealed under the overhanging branches of trees and vegetation around the lake and although venturing onto the open water of the lake when disturbed, soon gravitate back to a bank below the trees where they can be surprisingly hard to see. 

Mandarin's are closely related to the American Wood Duck, though this is hard to believe as the drakes of each species appear so very different when in their plumage finery.However the females of both species look remarkably similar.

Their success in establishing themselves in the wild is due to their occupying a vacant ecological niche in southern England. Unlike another import to our native avifauna, the rapidly increasing Rose Ringed Parakeet, the Mandarin is unlikely to present a similar ecological problem and prompt suggestions of population control, as their numbers currently remain low. The fact they only nest in holes in trees which brings them into conflict with both Jackdaws and Grey Squirrels for nest sites. undoubtedly contributes to keeping their numbers down.

The slowly growing British population of Mandarins was once thought to be of international conservation importance due to a population decline in its native China but the discovery of a previously unknown population of 60,000 birds in China has made this less significant.

Despite an ongoing threat to the future of Cannop Ponds by Forestry England, the Mandarins that live and breed around there look set to continue to delight both birders and the general public for the foreseeable future and on a dull, slow winter day in the Forest of Dean provided a welcome exotic, oriental diversion.