On May 28th, according to reports from various domestic media outlets, recently, a type of duck with an "explosive head" has been spotted in several scenic spots in Nanjing, including Xuanwu Lake.
Netizens jokingly commented that these white ducks must've gotten a Tony blowout.
Known as "Phoenix Head White Ducks," these ducks, at first glance, appear similar to other ducks, except for the thick, snow-white feathers on top of their heads, giving them the appearance of wearing a wig.
The reason behind the abundance of feathers on the top of their heads is due to gaps in their skull, allowing some fatty tissue to grow in between, with fluffy feathers growing on top of this tissue.
Phoenix Head White Ducks are a rare ornamental breed, documented in the Chinese Ming Dynasty book "Shi Wu Gan Zhu" as "Phoenix Head Duck, with high feathers on top, white feathers, and black bones." This is the earliest known record related to Phoenix Head Ducks, predating Darwin's account in "Variation Under Domestication" by over 270 years.
These historical records indicate that Phoenix Head White Ducks have a long-standing presence in China.
