Mandarin duck, Richmond Park, London, England

Who’s this colorful character?. Mandarin duck, Richmond Park, London, England

The cold, dreary backdrop of winter can be the perfect time to show off a little color. This male mandarin duck is doing just that with his handsome crest and vibrant plumage. Come molting season, he will look more like his brown-and-white female counterpart, except for his brightly colored beak.

Closely related to the North American wood duck, the mandarin duck is native to East Asia, but populations have been introduced to a variety of European countries as well as the British Isles. This drake is hunkering down in Richmond Park, London, a national nature reserve about three times the size of New York's Central Park, so hopefully he won't have too much trouble finding a mate come spring.