The sudden appearance of a lone mallard on the tiny Pacific island of Niue has locals puzzled, and for a very good reason — there are no ducks on Niue.

Key points: No one knows where "Trevor" the duck came from, or how he got to Niue

No one knows where "Trevor" the duck came from, or how he got to Niue It is being fed by locals, but lives in a puddle — there are no ponds on the island

It is being fed by locals, but lives in a puddle — there are no ponds on the island The fire service has been topping up its puddle

Niue is a coral atoll without wetlands or ponds, so this duck has had to make do with a large puddle.

No one knows where it came from, or quite how it got there — and for that very reason it has become somewhat of a celebrity.

"Everybody knows about the duck," said Randall Haines, who has lived on Niue for several years.

"We drive into town every few days and you can't help yourself, you just sort of look over and see if it's still in the puddle, and it is.

"It seems quite happy, although it doesn't have many friends."

Deputy political editor of the NZ Herald, Claire Trevett, was recently in Niue and learned of the mysterious duck after asking for directions.

Some think the duck was blown in during a storm, others say it stowed away in a ship. ( Supplied: Mark Blumsky )

"Someone said, 'Turn right past the duck' and then the whole story came out, the only duck on Niue," she said.

The duck — which appeared earlier this year — is widely known as "Trevor", after New Zealand's speaker of the House of Representatives, Trevor Mallard.

Niue is a self-governing state, but Niueans are citizens of New Zealand.

Despite its isolation it is not short of food. Trevett said it was being fed by locals, including offcuts of bok choy from the former New Zealand high commissioner.

The fire service has also been topping up its puddle.

Rooster 'bully' chasing duck around

Locals seem to agree the duck cannot stay in its ever-vanishing puddle forever. ( Supplied: NZ Herald/Claire Trevett )

There are two main theories as to how the duck got itself to Niue — that it was blown in during a storm, or it stowed away on a ship.

"There was a boat in the harbour about three days before the duck was first sighted in its puddle," Trevett said.

But the duck has been having an increasingly miserable time lately.

"It's got no mates and ducks prefer to have mates," Trevett said.

"A rooster has also discovered it and realised it's being fed and now the rooster has started bullying the duck and chasing it around everywhere."

Locals seem to agree the duck cannot stay in its ever-vanishing puddle forever — but no one has quite figured out what to do with it.

Trevett suggested Air New Zealand "fly the poor blighter" to a new home. ( ABC News: Jonathon Hall, file )

"I don't know how viable it is but my suggestion is for New Zealand to sort out the biosecurity issues and Air New Zealand to fly the poor blighter over here," Trevett said.

It is not the first time a solitary animal has found itself far from home in Niue.

In 2015, a Sri Lankan elephant bound for Auckland zoo spent three months on the island in quarantine.

"Everybody went every day to see it, there were kids and adults, the elephant had a lot of good company I reckon," Mr Haines said.

"But the duck is a little more lonely, so let's try to save Trevor."