Every once in a while, animal lovers are greeted with rare sightings of impressive birds that are not native to Singapore.
One crowd favourite, however, seems to be the mandarin duck, which also captured much attention when it set foot in Hougang in 2021.
It’s no surprise, as the vibrantly-coloured feathers on the male ducks have seen the breed being dubbed the ‘world’s most beautiful duck’ by many.
Well, good news for those who missed their chance to see it in 2021 — it seems the famed duck species has made its comeback in Clementi.
In Facebook group Singapore Wildlife Sightings, a Facebook User shared that they were pleasantly surprised with a sighting of the mandarin duck at Clementi Avenue 2 on 8 July.
From its colourful plumage, the duck is likely to be male, as female mandarin ducks are usually dull-coloured.
With its glossy feathers completely unruffled, the bird seems to be in very good condition.
Source: Moses Tang via Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
It is thus unclear if the fowl is under the care of anyone, or if it made its way to our sunny island on its own.
Another netizen in the group shared their shots of presumably the same bird at Block 349 Clementi Avenue 2.
Source: Kevin Ow via Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
The flamboyant plumage on the feathered creature starkly contrasted against the neutral tones of its background, making the shots all the more stunning.
Rather unbothered by the attention it was getting, the majestic mandarin duck waddled down the canal.
It even elegantly paused to pose for the camera between steps, rather reminiscent of a model strutting down a runway.
Source: Kevin Ow via Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
Another Facebook user shared that they saw the duck in Clementi Avenue 5 as well last Thursday (6 July).
Source: Vig Nes K on Facebook
The mandarin duck is not native to Singapore, and hails from countries in the East, including Korea, China and Japan.
It is thus shocking to see the bird here again.
Source: Kevin Ow via Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
It is unclear if the bird is new to town, or if the bird from Hougang simply took a journey to the West.
Nevertheless, it is definitely astonishing to see wildlife that are non-native to our garden city find a temporary home here.
That said, if you’d like to catch a glimpse of the lovely duck whilst it is still wearing its coat of colour, make sure to head down to Clementi soon.
The duck may lose its vibrancy during its moulting season, which usually occurs between May and July each year.
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Featured image adapted from Kevin Ow via Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook and Moses Tang on Facebook.
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