They’re duck-hunting — but not how you think.

Park Rangers and bird lovers are on high alert, searching for a rarely seen duck that was spotted in Central Park muzzled by a piece of plastic that’s preventing the poor animal from eating.

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The Common Merganser, a species of wild duck rarely seen in Manhattan, first came to the attention of bird watchers on Feb 19, and then again on Feb. 22, according to David Barrett, 56, operator of the Manhattan Bird Alert Twitter account.

Barrett says it’s unlikely the bird has eaten since it was seen with the plastic around its beak back on Feb. 19 — which could severely hamper rescue efforts.

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“When ducks become ill or start starving, they will try to isolate themselves so they don’t get attacked. They know that they’re weak so they want to be well hidden, to conserve their energy and avoid predators,” said Barrett, who was in Central Park searching for the bird Tuesday afternoon.

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“It was clearly distressed,” said Brad Kane, 52, an avid bird watcher who lives near Central Park and was able to photograph the duck on Saturday.

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This story originally appeared in the New York Post. For more from the Post, click here.