The Mandarin duck is a species of perching duck native to East Asia. It was once a widespread species in East Asia until large-scale exports and forest habitat destruction reduced populations. In eastern Russia, China and Japan still holds some 5,000 pairs. The Asian populations are migratory, wintering in lowland eastern China and southern Japan. In the 20th century, a large, feral population was established in Great Britain with small numbers that have recently bred in the parks of Dublin, Ireland. Currently, about 7,000 inhabit Great Britain with other populations scattered throughout the European continent, the largest of which is in the Berlin area. Imported mandarin ducks that have escaped captivity have produced feral populations in the United States. Free-flying populations of several hundred ducks inhabit Sonoma County in California. And, there is also small population in the town of Black Mountain, North Carolina. Perching ducks, like the Mandarin and wood ducks, prefer breeding habitats that are characterized by dense, shrubby forested edges adjacent to rivers, ponds, and lakes. In winter, they migrate to freshwater marshes, flooded fields, and open rivers. This image is a hand-painted digital image created in Spadecaller’s Florida studio.