Mandarin Patinkin

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Mandarin Patinkin in November 2018 Mandarin duck in Central Park (30055).jpg
Mandarin Patinkin in November 2018

Mandarin Patinkin, also known as the Central Park mandarin duck or the "Hot Duck", is a male mandarin duck seen at the Pond in New York City's Central Park starting in late 2018. Its colorful appearance, which contrasted with native waterfowl, combined with its presence far outside of the species' native range of East Asia, led to media attention from late 2018 through 2019. Though it has a band around its leg, its origin is undetermined. Its last sighting was in March 2019.

Contents

Sighting and public attention

The mandarin duck was first spotted at Central Park's Pond by birder Gus Keri in early October 2018. [1] [2] Its appearance was disseminated by another birder, David Barrett, who operates the Twitter account Manhattan Bird Alert and was described as the duck's "kingmaker" and "de-facto PR spokesman". [3] [4] It quickly became a local celebrity, with the duck and the public's enthusiasm for it receiving national and international coverage, covered by the BBC, The New York Times , The Guardian , CNN, the People's Daily in China, and making front-page news as far away as the Los Angeles Times . [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] Several vendors began producing and selling merchandise referencing or depicting the duck, turning it into a tourist attraction. The New York Times noted that it "[had] become an international celebrity. A living, breathing, quacking meme." [3] The Associated Press dubbed the crowd following the duck "the quackarazzi". [11] It has also been credited with sparking broader interest in birding in New York. [1] [12]

New York Magazine 'sThe Cut initially covered it as "New York's Most Eligible Bachelor" in its Dating section and subsequently called it "Hot Duck", while the website Gothamist named it Mandarin Patinkin, after Broadway actor Mandy Patinkin. [3] [9] [13] [14] [15]

A crowd of people gathered to watch the duck in November 2018 Mandarin duck in Central Park (30122).jpg
A crowd of people gathered to watch the duck in November 2018

Not long after its initial sighting, it disappeared for almost two weeks before returning to the Pond. [16] Whenever the duck was not seen for a period of days or when it was seen somewhere other than Central Park, it received media coverage, such as when it showed up in Brooklyn or Edgewater, New Jersey. [17] [18] [19] Multiple accounts describe "panic" among birdwatchers during these times. [9] [18] [20] The website Quartz set up a website dedicated to tracking whether or not it had been spotted in Central Park that day. [21]

Paul Sweet, Collection Manager in the Department of Ornithology at the American Museum of Natural History, criticized the enthusiasm for the duck. Though he credited the phenomenon with raising interest in birding, he pointed out the dangers that exotic species pose to native species in general and compared the experience of seeing an escaped duck in Central Park to seeing a bird in a zoo: "In British birder parlance, this is a 'plastic' duck, an escaped pet, one that can be bought online. It is not a rare bird or a first record or anything of that nature, so to me, of zero ornithological interest." [22] [23] Even within city limits, there are several other mandarin ducks at zoos, according to AMNY. [24] Both Sweet and WNYC News urged redirecting public interest to the many attractive native species found in New York, like the wood ducks which also frequent Central Park. [22] [25] Audubon editor Andrew Del-Colle echoed similar sentiments in an "open letter" to the duck, telling it that it was not "that special". [26] Others criticized the behavior of people watching the bird for violating birding ethics by feeding it bread or trying to get it to move to where it could be seen more easily. [3] [27]

Gothamist's Jen Carlson likened its public attention to a cult, with its crowd of onlookers by the Central Park Pond "[taking] on an apocalyptic circus vibe on weekends. Part Audubon field trip, part Burning Man." [1] In other articles, she wrote about some of the reasons it may have become so popular, making a comparison to the role of ducks in The Catcher in the Rye , symbolizing "all we have that is good anymore." [28]

Origin

Sitting on a rock with a mallard in the Central Park Pond, with leg band visible Mandarin duck in Central Park (30282).jpg
Sitting on a rock with a mallard in the Central Park Pond, with leg band visible

There are small populations of mandarin ducks in the United States formed by escaped or released domestic ducks, but none near New York. Its native range is East Asia. [2]

The Central Park duck's origin is unknown, but New York is too far from its natural territories to have simply gotten lost during migration, which accounts for some other rare sightings. [2] Observers quickly noted a band around its leg suggesting it had been captive. Zoos denied ownership, and the type of band used indicated a private owner from whom it had likely escaped. [2] [8] [9] Nobody stepped forward to claim ownership, perhaps because ducks are illegal to have as pets in the city. [16] Tom Moorman of Ducks Unlimited told the L.A. Times that it likely settled in Central Park because it was already a hotspot for other ducks. [9] The New York City Parks Department announced that it would monitor the duck through the 2018–19 winter, and would not try to capture it unless it needed help. [14]

Disappearance

The duck was last seen in Central Park in March 2019, leaving before the species' mating season. [29] Despite false positive sightings and speculation that it would likely return in September, after molting season, it has not been seen as of December 2019. [29] [30] [31] According to Barrett, "Before, even when he ventured to the rivers, our spies found him and posted footage. My best guess was that he flew far enough north to a small pond remote from people." [19] [29]

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Central Park Public park in Manhattan, New York

Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city by area, covering 843 acres (3.41 km2). It is the most visited urban park in the United States with an estimated 38 million visitors annually, and is the most filmed location in the world.

Duck Common name for many species in the bird family Anatidae

Duck is the common name for numerous species in the waterfowl family Anatidae which also includes swans and geese. Ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the family Anatidae; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered ducks. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water.

Mallard Species of bird

The mallard is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurosiberia, and North Africa and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae. The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on their wings and belly, while the females have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Both sexes have an area of white-bordered black or iridescent blue feathers called a speculum on their wings; males especially tend to have blue speculum feathers. The mallard is 50–65 cm (20–26 in) long, of which the body makes up around two-thirds the length. The wingspan is 81–98 cm (32–39 in) and the bill is 4.4 to 6.1 cm long. It is often slightly heavier than most other dabbling ducks, weighing 0.72–1.58 kg (1.6–3.5 lb). Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes. This species is the main ancestor of most breeds of domesticated ducks.

Ring-necked duck Species of bird

The ring-necked duck is a diving duck from North America commonly found in freshwater ponds and lakes. The scientific name is derived from Greek aithuia an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin collaris, "of the neck" from collum, "neck".

American black duck Species of bird

The American black duck is a large dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. It was described by William Brewster in 1902. It is the heaviest species in the genus Anas, weighing 720–1,640 g (1.59–3.62 lb) on average and measuring 54–59 cm (21–23 in) in length with a 88–95 cm (35–37 in) wingspan. It somewhat resembles the female mallard in coloration, but has a darker plumage. The male and female are generally similar in appearance, but the male's bill is yellow while the female's is dull green with dark marks on the upper mandible. It is native to eastern North America. During the breeding season, it is usually found in coastal and freshwater wetlands from Saskatchewan to the Atlantic in Canada and the Great Lakes and the Adirondacks in the United States. It is a partially migratory species, mostly wintering in the east-central United States, especially in coastal areas.

Wood duck Species of bird

The wood duck or Carolina duck is a species of perching duck found in North America. It is one of the most colorful North American waterfowl.

Mandarin duck Species of bird

The mandarin duck is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic. It is medium-sized, at 41–49 cm (16–19 in) long with a 65–75 cm (26–30 in) wingspan. It is closely related to the North American wood duck, the only other member of the genus Aix. Aix is an Ancient Greek word which was used by Aristotle to refer to an unknown diving bird, and galericulata is the Latin for a wig, derived from galerum, a cap or bonnet.

Ruddy duck Species of bird

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Falcated duck Species of bird

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Australian wood duck Species of bird

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Carlson, Jen (2018-12-05). "The Cult Of The Mandarin Duck: 'This Is The Church Of Many Feathers'". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Carlson, Jen (2018-10-11). "Gorgeous Mandarin Duck, Rarely Seen In U.S., Mysteriously Appears In Central Park". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Jacobs, Julia (2018-12-03). "The Hot Duck That Won't Go Away". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  4. ↑ Silman, Anna (2018-11-29). "The Man Behind New York's Hot Duck Sensation". The Cut. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  5. ↑ Pierpoint, George (2018-11-02). "Why has this duck taken over social media?". BBC News. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  6. ↑ Holpuch, Amanda (2018-11-08). "Mandarin mania: how a 'hot duck' enraptured New York City". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  7. ↑ "Rare duck making a splash in Central Park". People's Daily Online. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  8. 1 2 Simko-Bednarski, Evan (2018-11-02). "A rare Mandarin duck is hanging out in NYC's Central Park and nobody knows how it got there". CNN. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Sharp, Sonja (2018-12-02). "New York is charmed by a stunning Mandarin duck that mysteriously ended up in Central Park". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  10. ↑ Carlson, Jen (2018-11-05). "People Are Lining Up To See The Duck In Central Park". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  11. ↑ Dobnik, Verena (2018-12-06). "Quackarazzi: Mandarin duck holds NYC in its spell". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  12. ↑ Mendenhall, Matt (January 8, 2019). "Mandarin Duck 'is bringing many new people to birding'". BirdWatching. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  13. ↑ Paiella, Gabriella (2018-10-29). "New York's Most Eligible Bachelor Is This Beautiful Duck". The Cut. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  14. 1 2 Arnold, Amanda (2018-11-01). "Everyone Loves the Hot Duck". The Cut. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  15. ↑ Carlson, Jen (2018-11-02). "Please Enjoy This Short Film On The Duck Watchers". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  16. 1 2 Jacobs, Julia (2018-10-31). "A Mandarin Duck Mysteriously Appears in Central Park, to Birders' Delight". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  17. ↑ Carlson, Jen (2019-01-29). "The Mandarin Duck Was Spotted On The Brooklyn Side Of The East River". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  18. 1 2 Carlson, Jen (2018-11-26). "We Now Know Where NYC's Beloved Mandarin Duck Has Been Going When He's Not In Central Park". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  19. 1 2 Carlson, Jen (2019-12-05). "Manhattan Bird Expert 'Troubled' By Mandarin Duck Disappearance, Won't Rule Out Fowl Play". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  20. ↑ Carlson, Jen (2018-11-08). "An Exclusive Interview With That Central Park Duck About Where He's Been The Past Few Days". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  21. ↑ Gershgorn, Dave. "We built a website to track Central Park's hot duck". Quartz. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  22. 1 2 Sweet, Paul (2018-11-13). "Actually, That 'Hot' Mandarin Duck In Central Park Has 'Zero Ornithological Interest'". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  23. ↑ Aggeler, Madeleine (2018-11-14). "Other Ducks Are Hot, Too, Insists Bird Expert". The Cut. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  24. ↑ Weaver, Shayne. "Mandarin ducks have lived at New York City zoos for years". www.amny.com. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  25. ↑ Lewis, Danny (2018-11-13). "Yeah, the Mandarin Is Great, But Have You Seen a Wood Duck? | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News". WNYC. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  26. ↑ Del-Colle, Andrew (2018-11-09). "An Open Letter to the Central Park Mandarin Duck". Audubon. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  27. ↑ Mandelbaum, Ryan F. (November 8, 2018). "Stop Feeding the Hot Duck". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  28. ↑ Carlson, Jen (2018-11-16). "And Now A Brief Moment Of Zen Starring The Mandarin Duck In Snow". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  29. 1 2 3 Silman, Anna (2019-12-06). "Oh God, What Has Happened to the Hot Duck?". The Cut. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  30. ↑ Carlson, Jen (2019-07-15). "A Midsommar Update On NYC's Beloved Mandarin Duck". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  31. ↑ Carlson, Jen (2019-04-10). "Central Park's Celebrated Mandarin Duck Has Flown Around The Corner For A Pack Of Smokes". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
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