Journaling reads: The first mandarins were imported to Britain in the mid-18th century, but it wasn't until the 1930s that escapes from wildfowl collections started breeding here. Mandarins favor small wooded ponds and avoid lakes or large bodies of open water. Mandarins, like most ducks, only pair for the season, and new pairs will form again in the autumn. Female mandarins don't quack, but they do make a series of clucking calls that are invariably uttered when they see danger, such as a hunting fox. The mandarin, widely regarded as the world's most beautiful duck, is a native of China and Japan. The drake mandarin's stunning plumage has long made it an artist's favorite, and it is widely depicted in oriental art.