Mandarin ducks are always in pairs with the male on the left and female on the right.
They fly together, play together, and roost together. If one of the two birds dies, its mate would not take another partner. They are the ultimate symbol of love. loyalty and fidelity......
I've never seen a Mandarin duck but have had glimpses of its beautiful plumage in story books and photographs...until I stepped into the Wildlife Park in Langkawi and had the chance to take my own photograph of the fabled birds....
Brought in from China, these birds are the latest attraction at the park. In Chinese culture, the Mandarin Duck is use in feng shui..For the Chinese, these birds represent love and marriage.......You can use either an image, such as a photo or a painting, or choose small statues of Mandarin ducks as a feng shui love cure. You can find small Mandarin ducks statues in different materials - from faceted lead crystals (such as this Swarovski couple) to figurines made from rose quartz, jade or brass. Because rose quartz holds healing love energy, a pair of Mandarin ducks made from rose quartz crystal may bring additional energy to your feng shui love cure (ref: http://fengshui.about.com/od/fengshuicuresforlove/qt/Mandarin-Ducks-Feng-Shui-Love-Cure.htm).
Even the Japanese had a tale about a beautiful mandarin duck which was captured and caged by a greedy lord who wants to show off the bird's magnificent plumage. But the wild creature pines for his mate. When Yasuko, the kitchen maid, releases the bird against her lord's command, she and the one-eyed servant, Shozo, were sentenced to death. The grateful bird intends to return their kindness, but can he outsmart the cruel lord? (An excerpt from The Tale Of The Mandarin Duck by Katherine Paterson).
Anyway, I had a great time viewing these beautiful creatures through my camera lens. They make such a pleasant photography subject and post so beautifully for me....The male duck has a more vibrant plumage than the female...and this is not only common among these ducks. Have you ever wondered why God made the male species in the animal kingdom more colourful and beautiful than the female? Has it got anything to do with genes? Or perhaps the competition in attracting the female gender is so stiff that the male (as in peacock, lions, fighting fish) have to be 'flashy' to attract the females....(as in the human world, women are psychologically drawn to flashy men....!!! Urghhh...)
Anyway, i am forever fascinated by the beautiful plumage of the male peacock as it struts to gain the attention of the dull, brown female peacock. On NatGeo, we see how the King of the jungle would gracefully strut around the plains, tossing its beautiful mane to woo the plain female lion and this is also obvious in my home where my fighting fish with its beautiful flaming red tail outshines the dull female...! Anyway....I did a story for the New Straits Times on these ducks.... here's the url.....http://www.nst.com.my/streets/northern/symbol-of-love-fidelity-1.40593
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