CORDELIA -- An X-ray of the stomach of a wounded duck that died at the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Cordelia containing the uncanny image of an alien's face has been sold to an online casino for $9,600 on eBay.

An online casino called GoldenPalace.com had the highest big when bidding ended on Sunday. The casino -- which has previously bought a grilled cheese sandwich featuring an image of the Virgin Mary and paid $2,500 for a kidney stone passed by William Shatner -- will add the oddity to its collection of strange items featured in a traveling show.

"Proceeds from the sale of this one-of-a-kind X-ray will go towards funding our continuing efforts to rescue and rehabilitate oiled, orphaned and injured waterfowl and aquatic birds," said Jay Holcomb, the center's director.

The adult male mallard was brought with what appeared to be a broken wing to the Cordelia center from another center in the Bay Area.

Assistant Marie Travers radiographed the mallard and was shocked to see what appeared to be the face or head of an extraterrestrial alien in the bird's stomach.

The bird died quickly, quietly and peacefully after the X-rays were taken, center spokeswoman Karen Benzel said.

Staff at the center wondered with amusement whether the alien in the duck was trying to communicate with the people of Earth because the center is located near an area where crop circles were found a few years ago.

Benzel noted the symmetry of the alien's face is perfect and has an intense grimace as if it were in anguish after being eaten. Benzel wondered if the duck had consumed a juvenile alien.

"We immediately knew this was something we had never seen before in our 35-year history," Benzel said.