Mandarin Duck Returns To Central Park After Going 'Missing'

CENTRAL PARK, NY — The Mandarin duck returned to Central Park on Thursday after going missing for several days and sending New York City bird lovers into a panic.

The duck — native to East Asia but extremely rare in the United States — drew a massive crowd of admirers Thursday who were relieved to see the fowl's safe return to The Pond in the southeast corner of Central Park.

"I just hope something pretty like this sticks around, because this is what the city needs," Robert Braunfeld said Thursday while photographing the duck.

Birdwatcher David Barrett, who runs the Twitter account Manhattan Bird Alert and has become the foremost chronicler of the Mandarin duck's stay in New York, was the first to alert the masses of the duck's disappearance.

"Where is our MANDARIN DUCK? He was not reported yesterday, and we checked the likely spots late day. If you see him, let us know!" Barrett tweeted from the Manhattan Bird Alert account on Wednesday.

The birdwatcher told the New York Post Thursday that the duck has tested the waters elsewhere in Central Park and occassionaly flies to the Hudson River and New Jersey.

"It has shown that it likes to wander and try out new habitats," Barrett told the Post.

This week's disappearance isn't the first time the duck as withdrawn from the public view. The Mandarin duck debuted in The Pond on Oct. 10, but didn't capture the city's attention until it's second visit two weeks later.

The duck's origins remain a mystery. Mandarin ducks are not native to the area, which means the bird either escaped a zoo, fled from a New Jersey home (ownership of ducks as pets is not legal in New York City) or was left in the park by a former owner.

Most people photographing the duck Thursday didn't care how the duck got to Central Park —they just want to take in the sight while it lasts.

"It's not every day you see a Mandarin duck in Central Park. I've seen a lot of things in New York and nothing really phases me, but stuff like this brings some good vibes," duck fan Robert Braunfeld said Thursday.

Lead photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images News/Getty Images