A gorgeous, other-worldly looking species, and fortunately one that you see quite a bit in eastern South Dakota. However, I find them to often be very shy and difficult to photograph under most circumstances. However, like many waterfowl species, those that get accustomed to living in urban parks and ponds are often less shy than those found in more wild environments...including some of those in the photos below. Note some of the photos below include Mandarin Duck, with a drake Wood Duck and the Mandarin seemingly becoming best buddies for a month or so until the tragic end of the Mandarin.
All photos are copyrighted by Terry L. Sohl. Contact me for print options or questions about photo use.
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