Nature Done Wright

The Record just posted my column on Central Park's Mandarin Duck — I filed it before the current cold snap.

I interviewed zoologist Fred Verrazzi of Secaucus, who also provided took the pix. (Thanks, Fred!)

Here's the beginning:

Meet New York City’s newest superstar.  

Charismatic and flamboyant yet totally out of place, he has attracted hordes of far-flung tourists and local gawkers since he began giving free performances in Central Park last month.

The accidental celebrity is an exquisitely feathered Mandarin duck, native to China and Japan.

Nicknamed Mandarin Patinkin, after the famous actor/singer, he has garnered a huge following and received national coverage. And for good reason.

“The male Mandarin is spectacular,” says Fred Virrazzi, a zoologist with Carteret-based National Biodiversity Park. “It's accepted as one of the most striking birds on Earth.”

The link is here.