As its name suggests, the Mandarin duck comes from East Asia and is arguably one of the most beautiful ducks in the world. The ornate waterfowl became established in other regions following escapes from captivity, and a handful of small, isolated populations exist in the US. This fall, a Mandarin duck made headlines and blazed across social media when it appeared in New York City’s Central Park. The bird attracted crowds of onlookers hoping for a glimpse and a photo, while debates raged on how the bird may have ended up so far from its native territory. But Paul Sweet from the American Museum of Natural History"s Department of Ornithology explains on the Gothamist blog that ‘the black cable tie on its right tarsus clearly mark it as an escapee.’ Well done, lovely Mandarin!
A bird of beauty
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
A field of English lavender
-
The Children’s Cultural Festival in Reykjavik begins today
-
Beaver achievers
-
A river runs through rice fields
-
A day for our oceans
-
Longtailed widowbird at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa
-
Hut, hut, hike!
-
A spectacle unlike any other
-
The Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland
-
Road to Sa Calobra, Majorca, Spain
-
Cold? What cold?
-
A Carpathian Christmas celebration
-
A little bit of Wonderland in New York City
-
Ready for takeoff
-
Marine Day in Japan
-
Clouds over the River of Grass
-
Here we honor the women who ve served
-
Welcome to the Ring of Fire
-
Pollinator Week
-
High above the reef
-
Up on the glacier
-
Sand, sun, and sk8ers
-
Gem State views
-
Lights, camera, Sundance
-
Mid-Autumn Festival
-
A palace for the public
-
3, 2, 1 … Happy New Year!
-
Poppies in bloom
-
Let the games begin
-
Flying high on National Bird Day