The day I met Banks, a knee-tall white-crested duck with a knack for showing off, he was more interested in nibbling at my boots than having an interview.  Luckily his owner, Micaela Gibson, was happy to take over and share the story of Banks’  growth as a budding local celebrity – and of their friendship.

“I would consider him one of my best friends,” Gibson says. “I’ve dove into traffic twice for Banks. I really love Banks.”

Banks and Gibson are two peas in a pod — they live together in Gibson’s Montgomery County home, and they go pretty much everywhere together. Their struts around town have made them a fixture on Gibson’s Instagram page, which boasts nearly 40,000 followers (Banks also has a page, which is just starting to grow).

Her duck came into Gibson’s life about a year ago, after she saw two people with their own ducks waddling around Arundel Mills Mall. “I was like ‘Oh my gosh!’ And they had diapers on and they were following [their owners], and I was like, ‘I want that!’” Gibson says.

Weeks later, Banks arrived at her doorstep in a box as a young, yellow duckling from a family farm. 

They get stopped everywhere they go – in part because it’s not everyday you see a duck obediently waddling behind someone in the street, but also because Banks himself is, well … an atypical-looking bird. His signature white feathered afro may seem like a cute hairstyle shaped for him, but it’s actually due to a genetic mutation that causes a gap in the skull, Gibson says.

He also can’t fly due to his “angel wings” – a genetic or nutritional deficiency condition where the feathers point out laterally instead of laying close to the body. Gibson says his condition makes it difficult for him to survive on his own against predators.

Sitting at Jequie Park in Takoma Park, Maryland, one-day last month, other birds quietly chirped in the distance while Banks lounged, calm and at ease around Gibson. He took moments to waddle around and explore, dozing off for naps, or showing off flapping his feathers in front of his guests. In lieu of a leash, Banks is begrudgingly styled with a small pink crocheted collar made by Gibson to distinguish him as a pet (and she’s currently working on a matching pink skirt for her to wear with him). But their relationship wasn’t always this easy.

“It took me three months to get him like this,” Gibson says. “This is not like a dog; they don’t just like cling to you, even if you do have them from babies. So spending time is imperative if you’re going to have a duck.”

In the name of quality time, Gibson takes Banks anywhere he’s allowed. She’ll pull him in a shopping cart at Target, let him waddle around with her at Five Below, or push him around town in a stroller. It’s easy to catch the two walking down the street in style – Gibson with a fierce lace-front wig in varying styles and face tattoos, and Banks, strutting behind her, usually wearing a colorful collar for the day.

Even their outing to be photographed for this story caused a bit of a scene.

“The moment we stepped outside, everybody was stopping and like ‘Oh, he’s so cute,’” Gibson says. “He’s a real conversation starter.” (She adds that Banks is open to pets, but people should ask first so she can guide them on how to do it. Banks is not a fan of being pet on his back because he can’t see what’s going on, Gibson says.)

Her own love for Banks is contagious, she says – everyone who meets him feels the same.

“I love when I take him outside because he brings so many different types of people together from all different backgrounds,” Gibson says. “And it’s really nice to have him be the centerpiece of all of that.”

Gibson has been a pet owner since elementary school, having experience with dogs, cats, snakes, a pig, hamsters, and rabbits, which she also used to take out with her. 

“Everybody loved him too, seeing a bunny in a stroller. That’s so cute,” Gibson says.

Gibson had such a positive experience owning a duck for the first time, she got two more ducklings, 1-month-olds Brix and Blaze.

“We took them out recently all together,” Gibson says. “We had the little ducks in the stroller and Banks was walking. It was a little stressful because Banks was so focused on them that he wasn’t really paying attention and [Brix and Blaze] don’t follow [behind me].” 

Gibson says caring for a duck requires a lot more attention and maintenance than any other pet she’s owned.

“I have to find an exotic hospital and [there’s] not too many conveniently [placed],” Gibson says. She says back when she had rabbits, the closest exotic animal healthcare site she could get to was an hour away. 

And at-home care is consistent with never-ending cleanup. So Gibson has to get creative, shopping outside of regular pet supply stores to get materials to make “duck diapers,” – for exactly what you think they’re for, making cleanup a lot easier for house fowl. 

“It’s been pretty difficult trying to find duck diapers. I’ve ordered it at least two different times off of Amazon and they were too small,” Gibson says. “ I’m just at a point now where I can sew so I made my own.”

Gibson made a pink and polka dot diaper for Banks, and can insert a liner or cut a baby diaper to attach to it.

And even though they’ve developed a strong bond, like any pair of best friends the two still have their moments. Gibson says Banks loves his freedom and she gives him as much space as he requires. He’s not a cuddler, and when he needs something there is no hesitation for him to quack his requests, Gibson says.

“He has low quacks and it’s just like him talking or whatever,” Gibson says. “And then he’s got the ‘Quack, quack!’ and that’s when he wants something…And if someone’s coming into the house, I notice that too; he’s like a guard dog.”

Although Gibson loves being seen with Banks online and in real life, she says she doesn’t want to be known as the “duck lady.” Her personality extends beyond that. She’s about “just being different and just doing what others don’t or are afraid to do or don’t think of doing,” Gibson says.

Gibson plans on registering Banks as an emotional support animal. She says she dreams of having a hobby farm someday with more space and more furry, scaly, or feathered critters to take care of.