8 Fascinating Facts about Mandarin Ducks- The Symbolic Ducks in Korean Weddings

The mandarin duck is incredibly beautiful and colorful, but there are multiple fascinating facts about this lovely duck you may not know. Did you know that the Korean wedding duck figurine is a replica of the mandarin duck? Koreans hold this duck in high regard and believe it represents fidelity, love, peace, and numerous offspring. That's just one fact of several about the mandarin duck that makes it such a unique and beloved creature. 

8 Compelling Facts about the Mandarin Duck 

They Mate for Life

You'll see mandarin ducks are used in Korean weddings and are a symbol of both love and fidelity. That is because these ducks mate for life and are one of the few monogamous birds. Korea, China, and Japan all recognize this duck as being a deep symbol of love and in a Korean wedding, a carved pair of the ducks are given as a wedding gift to the newly-married couple. 

Courtship is Fairly Complex

The mandarin ducks use a pretty complex courtship process that involves more than just the males spreading out their colorful features. Males also will simulate drinking and preening, along with shaking and bobbing their heads up and down. A vocal mating call from the males along with showing off their feathers is another aspect of the mating ritual. 

Male & Female Ducks Look Nothing Alike 

What's definitely intriguing about these creatures is that the males look absolutely stunning, while the females look completely different and have no outstanding characteristics. Males are some of the most beautiful creatures you'll see with black, green, orange, white, and blue feathers. 

The females aren't nearly as captivating and it can be hard to identify that the females are even mandarin ducks in the first place. They look most similar to the wood duck and have gray colorations with the tip of the bill being a very light color.

Males Aren't Fatherly Figures 

Even though these ducks represent love and monogamy, it doesn't mean they are great at being parents. Specifically, the men are not fatherly figures and are actually absent after the eggs hatch. The female takes on all responsibility of raising the ducklings, which can range from 9 to 12 at a time. 

The Ducks are Native to East Asia but Unnaturally Make it to North America

Originally, these ducks were native only to Korea, Japan, and China, along with parts of Russia. Their presence in East Asia led to importation into England during the later part of the 18th century due to their beauty. Breeding in the wild only happened after they got out of private areas in the 1930s. 

You can find the ducks in North America presently, with them being found in both California and North Carolina. This is due to private collectors and it's not their natural habitat. A duck was found back in 2018 in New York, although how it got to Central Park is a mystery. 

Ducklings Dive to the Ground Shortly After Being Born

A funny fact about these creatures is that even though nesting occurs within the holes found in trees, the baby ducklings don't stay in this nest for very long at all. Within hours of birth, the ducklings will crawl out to the edge of the tree hole and leap, which sometimes can be as high as 30 feet off the ground. 

They want to get to the water so the only way to achieve this is by jumping and free-falling to the ground. What's really cool is that the mother will be at the bottom of the tree and offer encouragement to the ducklings to jump. The ducklings bounce when they land and are not hurt during this process. 

They Thrive Due to Being Nasty to Consume 

One reason why these ducks haven't become extinct is the fact that no one wants to eat them. In China, a lot of the ducks feed off of mice, snails, and even fish spawn, which are all nasty critters if you think about it. This means that tasting one of these ducks is not going to be pleasant and likely will be pretty gross since they feed off undesirable creatures.

They are Important for Feng Shui 

Balancing the forces of energy is known as the practice of Feng Shui, which is very popular in China. The mandarin duck is a part of Feng Shui due to them being associated with both monogamy and love. Those that practice this philosophy will often have a pair of mandarin duck figurines nearby, with them either facing the same direction or facing each other. The rule is that if one ends up broken, you should replace the pair and they are never to be separated from one another.