Mandarin ducks in Iceland

Bird-watchers in Iceland should keep their eyes well and truly peeled for the magnificent mandarin duck, three of which have been spotted here in the last week.

Two have been seen in Eyjafjörður in Northern Iceland and a third in Borgarfjörður eystri in Eastern Iceland.

Mandarin ducks originate from the Far East and were imported into the United Kingdom in the eighteenth century. Their numbers have grown in the UK in recent years and spring visits to Iceland are becoming increasingly common.

Mandarin duck visits to Iceland are becoming increasingly common. Photo: Eyþór Ingi Jónsson