Park Rangers Search For Duck Seen With Plastic Around Its Beak In Central Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A search and rescue mission is underway in Central Park for a duck in danger.
A large duck, known as a common merganser, was photographed with a plastic ring around its neck and lower beak, which prevents it from eating.
The COMMON MERGANSER hen was not found on the Central Park Lake today, despite the best efforts of the Urban Park Rangers and many birders. Continue to watch for it there and on other park water bodies—it can both hide well and, as of yesterday, still fly.
— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) February 24, 2020
Park rangers searched the lakes in kayaks, but so far, no sign of the bird.
An Urban Park Ranger in a canoe has reached the Central Park Lake's island to search for the COMMON MERGANSER hen. pic.twitter.com/eVhnntHrlH
— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) February 24, 2020
"If I see the merganser I'll try and I clip the plastic from his bill," said Aubrey Cater of the Central Park Conservancy.
Carter says discarded plastic waste in the water is to blame for the mergansers misfortune.
"The bird is slowly starving and withering away," he said.
"We hope birders will continue looking in Central Park, both on the lake and on other water bodies for this bird," said birder David Barrett.
Experts say common mergansers are rarely seen in New York.
Experts say it likely the merganser is tired and hungry, on land hiding somewhere in a brushy area. The question is where.