A rare Mandarin duck mysteriously appeared in New York and everyone loves him
The duck species is native to east Asia, and its sightings in Manhattan are a mystery.
A rare and beautiful Mandarin duck has been spotted in New York City’s Central Park, and social media users have fallen in love with him.
The colourful bird species is native to east Asia, so the bird’s sightings 11,000 kilometres away from his habitat have baffled locals.
The male duck was first spotted in the park on October 10, and birdwatchers have caught glimpses of him ever since.
New Yorkers have taken to social media to photograph the fancy bird, and to speculate about where he came from.
The Central Park Zoo has not reported any missing Mandarin ducks, and it is illegal for ducks to be kept as pets in the city.
The celebrity Mandarin duck has been spotted in the park at locations near West 79th Street, 59th Street, and Fifth Avenue.
Park officials told the New York Times that they will take action only if the duck gets injured and needs medical care, but that he appears quite healthy.
The Mandarin duck has been labelled a species “of least concern”, and while native to east Asia has also been introduced to Britain, Ireland and Germany.
Pairs of the species are sometimes nicknamed lovebirds, as they are thought to be lifelong couples. In Korean culture, the birds are seen to symbolise peace and fidelity.
