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:
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Earth seen from the International Space Station
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Tasiilaq, Greenland
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Where is this gorgeous peak?
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A storied trail marks a century
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American bison
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Tesla, the visionary
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Climb a tree for wild animals and plants
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Groovy!
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Take the Stairs Day
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Keep shining
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Celebrating a Paris landmark
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It’s surströmming time
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Four little birds sitting in a tree…
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Castelmezzano, Italy
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The dry days of winter in Etosha
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Honoring the fallen
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Birch trees, Drammen, Norway
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Southern lights for Antarctica Day
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The mighty, mighty mushroom
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Row, row, row your gondola
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The Unfinished Obelisk near Aswan, Egypt
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The Cordillera de la Sal in the Cordillera Domeyko Range of Chile
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Happy Star Wars Day!
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Victory in Europe, 75 years ago
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Celebrating whales—and a whale of a tale
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Celebrating National Panda Day
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A triumph of light
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A snuggling ball of cute
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Falling for Rioja
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Cross this bridge if you dare