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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Keep watching the skies
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Happy 50th for the National Trails System!
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Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico
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Old underground cellar, Bavaria, Germany
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The lights of Paris
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Ides of March
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International Day of Peace
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Sunburst at Angkor
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Christmas comes to New York City
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International Chameleon Day
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Jasper Dark Sky Festival
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Climb a tree for wild animals and plants
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Oud-West, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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National Park Service anniversary
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International Day for Biological Diversity
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National Hammock Day
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Wallabies at sunrise, Australia
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Bournemouth beach huts
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Don’t get lost in there
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Kagami-ike, Nagano, Japan
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Celestial Spain
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Cranborne Chase, England
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Memorial Day
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A castle fit for a count
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Happy birthday, Capitol Reef National Park
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Frozen beauty
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Ready. Set. Snow.
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You ve never seen anything like this
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Happy Father s Day
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A day of death and rebirth