'The weirdest bird I've ever seen': Sighting of flamboyant duck brightens birders' January

When Christopher Deane first caught a glimpse of the mandarin duck in the Lower Mainland, he knew it wasn't from around here.

"I thought that's the weirdest bird I've ever seen," the hobby birdertold CBC News. "It looks like a parade float! They just don't look like a normal bird. They're all fancy and frilly!"

The mandarin duck is native to East Asia, but has made appearances in the Lower Mainland. Dean spotted one in Stanley Park last year, and in Burnaby just a few days ago.

In fact, recent sightings in Deer Lake Park have prompted dozens of wildlife and nature photographers to crowd the lake in hopes of catching a glimpse.

Colourful critters

Male mandarin ducks are known for their intensely colourful plumage, which includes a purple crest and two large orange "sails" at their rear.

Avid birder and professional photographer John Priesslwas one of the first to spot the bird in the Burnabypark, Dec.28, 2018, while he was leading a wildlife tour.

"We stumbled upon it just by accident," he told CBC News. "We decided it was a good place for a lot of photographers and people from the birding community to view the duck, where it was."

Dozens of people lined the boardwalk near the northern end of Deer Lake park following the initial sighting.Priessl says the duckonly makes itself visible a couple of times per day.

Unfortunately, Priessl says, several people attempted to lure the bird out by giving it food.

"That's a big no-no in the wildlife photography world," said Priessl. He warns food can be harmful to its healthand even attract it into areas where there are predators.

Where did it come from?

According to George Clulow, former president of the B.C. Field Ornithologists, this particular bird was likely the same one spottedlast year in Burnaby Lake Park, when it was a juvenile.

"This is almost certainly a bird that's been released, probably initially at BurnabyLake," said Clulow. "As the years progressed, this bird has moulted into a beautiful, male mandarin duck. It's such a beautiful bird, it's attracting a lot of attention."

Mandarin ducks are typically found in Japan and in eastern parts of Russia and China. Clulow says its native climate issimilar to that of the Lower Mainland, enablingthe bird to live comfortablyin local parks.

He says the bird is closely related to the North American wood duckand is likely looking for a mate.

"There are known hybrids between mandarin ducks and wood ducks, but for the most part ... they're not fertile. So there won't be a breeding population of hybrids."