A stunning Mandarin duck is putting the fall colors in Central Park to shame and New Yorkers can’t get enough

By Hayley FitzPatrick

The Mandarin duck that’s taking over the internet is back in New York City.

Visitors to Central Park were unable to locate the duck earlier this week. But on Thursday morning, lucky bystanders caught a glimpse of the rare, multi-colored bird.

The bird immediately caused a social media frenzy when it first appeared at the Central Park Pond on Oct 10.

Many wondered how it landed in New York City, with some even speculating it was a domestic pet. Birdwatchers, tourists and photographers alike have been flooding the park in recent weeks for the chance to see the duck. Safety officials, however, advised bird watchers and visitors to not disturb it.

“While it's exciting to spot such a rare bird in NYC's backyard, like every other celebrity sighting, New Yorkers should know to give him space and not to disturb him," John McCoy, deputy director of the Urban Park Rangersm told ABC New York station WABC.

The NYC Parks Department also weighed in on Central Park’s newest celebrity.

"While we are not tracking the Mandarin duck, we've noted that he's appeared healthy and has regularly moved between water bodies in Central Park," the department said in a statement. "We don't know his exact location at this time. Almost all ducks migrate seasonally.”

"While we're happy to have had him visit our parks, it's important to remember that at some point he may leave New York for warmer temperatures," it added.

Check out some of the social media footage of the marvelous duck:

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A post shared by Christopher Ang (@chrisangphoto) on Nov 9, 2018 at 5:02am PST

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A post shared by M (@theamericanfrenchy) on Nov 8, 2018 at 10:11pm PST

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A post shared by Sher (@sheringiscaring) on Nov 9, 2018 at 4:05am PST

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A post shared by Seamus (@eastlake23) on Nov 8, 2018 at 4:30pm PST

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?? MANDARIN DUCK ?? (CENTRAL PARK) The Mandarin duck is known for its multicolored feathers — tinges of emerald green, deep mauve and suede-like tan. It is unclear how the bird ended up in Central Park — or New York City, for that matter — since it is a species originally found in East Asia. #mandarinduckcentralpark #centralparknyc #mandarinducknyc #mandarinduck This colorful Drake has found its home in New York’s Central Park among native mallards and wood Ducks - to the delight of tourists, Bird & Wildlife Enthusiasts and locals . . . . . #your_best_birds #nuts_about_birds #bestbirdshots #bb_of_ig #kings_birds #bird_brilliance #eye_spy_birds #bns_birds #feather_perfection #birds_adored #thebirdingsquad #birdsandblooms #birds_illife #sassy_birds #birds_captures #nature_worldwide_birds #ip_birds #fridayfowl #total_birds #birds_adored

A post shared by Christopher Ang (@chrisangphoto) on Nov 8, 2018 at 8:18pm PST

The famous duck has also set Twitter ablaze with fan reactions:

the best thing about the mandarin duck in central park is how excited everyone else is about birds for once! pic.twitter.com/vLDwA34HRK

— ?? ece ?? (@ecetweets) November 3, 2018

I love that the most famous New Yorker is right now is the stunning Mandarin Duck. ?? ??

— Annie Edgerton, CSW, CS, WSET 3 (@WineMinxAnnie) November 2, 2018

new yorkers love mandarin duck pic.twitter.com/NXeR0ptYJg

— Jenny G. Zhang (@jennygzhang) November 3, 2018

I am obsessed with this Mandarin Duck in NYC https://t.co/BqwvDSZdR2

— Late Registration (@MJ_PR) November 3, 2018