In common with other ducks, male Mandarin Ducks Aix galericulata normally abandon the female before the eggs hatch, though some may occasionally visit the nest and remain for several hours (Lever 2013). Kear (2005) noted that the pair bond in Mandarins lasts until late in incubation or, more rarely, into early brood-rearing, but that parental care is entirely by the female.
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