The Mandarin duck originates in East China and Japan. But already in the 18th century, Europeans were fascinated by its beauty and brought ducks home. It was suddenly of high status to have Mandarin ducks as captive birds in ponds. However, several individuals managed to escape and already in the early 1900s, Mandarin ducks were established as European breeding birds in Britain. After that, it has spread to several European countries, such as Ireland and Germany. Single breedings have been observed in several other countries, e.g. in northern Sweden. This is, however, the first time I have observed Mandarin ducks in Uppsala.