Mandarin duck sighted after 118 years in Assam

Mandarin duck from eastern Asia spotted in Assam after 118 years. Mandarin duck was spotted in Assam in 1902. Spotting the lone Mandarin duck on the Maguri-Motapung Beel in eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district by a team of avian specialists from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and birding volunteers on 8 Feb 2021.

About Mandarin duck
Considered the most beautiful duck in the world, the Mandarin duck(Aix galericulata) was first identified by Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Mandarin duck native to East Asia and It’s very beautiful, with majestic colours.

About Maguri Motapung wetland
The Maguri Motapung wetland — an Important Bird Area as declared by the Bombay Natural History Society — is located close to the Dibru Saikhowa National Park in Upper Assam. The entire ecosystem (grassland and wetland) is very important as it is home to at least 304 bird species, including a number of endemic ones like Black-breasted parrotbill and Marsh babbler.