Beginning in October 2018, a male Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) has been swimming around the Pond in Central Park. This duck has become a bit of a celebrity, because Mandarins are not native to the Western Hemisphere, so any duck hanging out has to be an escapee or a release.
Mandy the Mandarin duck, the Pond, Central Park, March 18, 2019
Mandy, the Pond, Central Park, March 18, 2019
Mandarin was having a bit of a bad feather day on May 20, 2019, at the Pond, Central Park
March 20, 2019, the Pond
Mandy the Mandarin Duck, the Pond, Central Park, in the snow on February 12, 2019
Mandy Mandarin Duck, the Pond, January 5, 2019
Genus Aix
I videotaped Mandy on October 28, 2018, showing the little dabbler hanging out with the mallards.
Male Mandarin duck, the Pond, Central Park, October 28, 2018
This is not the first time a male Mandarin duck has hung out in Central Park. I photographed a male Mandarin duck in the Central Park Zoo on March 18, 2016. (I haven't returned to the zoo recently, so do not know if this duck is still in residence.) Both the 2018 and 2016 ducks are banded, but with different bands.
Mandarin duck, Central Park Zoo, March 18, 2016
The Mandarin duck is one of two ducks in the Aix genus, the other being the wood duck (Woody the Wood Duck, Prince of the Pond, resides year-round at the Pond). The music used in the video is: Ishikari Lore by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100192; artist: http://incompetech.com/. All The Tea In China by Shane Ivers, https://www.silvermansound.com. Finding Movement by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
More photos here of Mandy, the 2018 Mandarin duck.
