Muscovy duck

Muscovy Duck
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Genus:	Cairina
Species:	C. moschata
Binomial name
Cairina moschata (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata is a large perching duck which is native to Mexico, Central and South America. A small wild population reaches into the lower Rio Grande River basin in Texas. There also is a significant feral population in southern Florida and southern Texas.

This non-migratory species normally inhabitating forested swamps, lakes and streams. It often roosts in trees at night.

The wild Muscovy Duck is all-dark apart from the white in the wings, with long talons on its feet and a wide flat tail. The male is 86 cm long and weighs 3 kg, much larger than the 64 cm long, 1.3 kg female. His most distinctive features are a bare red face with a pronounced caruncle at the base of the bill and a low erectile crest of feathers. The drake has a dry hissing call, and the hen a quiet trilling coo.

This species, like the Mallard, does not form stable pairs, and, again like that species, forced sexual intercourse can occur in feral populations. The hen lays a clutch of 8-10 white eggs, usually in a tree hole or hollow, which are incubated for 35 days.

The Muscovy Duck has benefited from nest boxes in Mexico, but is uncommon in much of the east of its range due to persecution.

Its diet consists of plant material obtained by grazing or dabbling in shallow water, with some small vertebrates and insects.

Domestication

The Muscovy Duck has been domesticated for centuries, and is commercially known as Barbary Duck. This breed is popular because it has stronger-tasting meat, like roast beef, and is less noisy. The carcass of a Muscovy Duck is also much heavier than that of most other domesticated ducks, which make it ideal for the dinner table. Domesticated birds, like those pictured, often features differing plumage from that of wild birds, and are also usually also bulkier. Muscovy hens range in weight from 2 to 5 kg (5 to 10 pounds), while drakes are commonly 5 to 7 kg (10 to 15 pounds).

Domesticated birds can breed up to three times each year. Some have escaped into the wild and now breed outside the native domain, including in western Europe and the United States.

The Muscovy Duck can be crossed with the domestic duck in captivity to produce hybrids which are known as Mulard Duck ("mule duck") because they are sterile) and are often used in the production of foie gras.

Problems with feral populations

Some feral populations, such as those in Florida are said to present problems. Muscovy ducks can breed near urban and suburban lakes and on farms, nesting in tree cavities or on the ground, under shrubs in yards, on condominium balconies or under roof overhangs.

Problems arise from aggressive begging for food and mess created by droppings. It is said that each adult duck produces about 150 g (1/3-pound) of droppings per day, and they defecate in swimming pools and on patios and docks. This presents a possible health hazard. They have been known to mate with wild Mallard Ducks, creating another potential nuisance.

In Florida, Muscovy Ducks are now considered "invasive," but are protected in by state statute 828.12, which makes shooting or hurting them in anyway punishable by law.

Legal (if inhumane) methods to restrict breeding include not feeding these ducks, deterring them with noise or by chasing, and finding nests and vigorously shaking the eggs to render them nonviable. Leaving the eggs to the nest will prevent re-laying as the mother duck would if the clutch were removed.

Humane feral duck population management

Feral populations can be humanely managed to reduce the number of offspring produced by resident feral ducks, by interfering with a duck's natural nesting instinct.

Simply destroying all nests or eggs will only result in the duck renesting in different locations until she has a successful hatch. This is the key consideration when managing active nests. The duck must be allowed to incubate and hatch at least 2 ducklings, otherwise she will abandon the nest and immediately start a new nest elsewhere. Allowing her 2 viable eggs will ensure that this duck will spend 3 weeks incubating and up to 12 weeks caring for her 2 ducklings.

The goal is normally to alter all but two of the eggs in a nest so that they are unable to hatch. This can only be accomplished during the laying period (before incubation). If there is any doubt regarding the development of the eggs, a sampling should be taken to a local wildlife rehabilitator for candling.

During the laying period (before incubation), the eggs are still dormant and should be vigorously shaken to cause the internal structure to change (comparable to scrambling the egg inside the shell). Each shaken egg should be dated with a crayon the day it is shaken and returned to the nest. Removing the altered eggs could result in the duck abandoning the nest and starting a new one elsewhere if she feels a predator has discovered the site. The eggs can also be coated with vegetable oil. Do not shake two of the eggs. These eggs should be labeled by crayon as "Viable". Keep the unshaken eggs on top of or away from any oiled eggs. The shaken eggs can be safely pierced and discarded one week after the female leaves the nest with her new ducklings, or 45 days after incubation began. An incubated egg should never be shaken; it has begun development and rather than rendering the egg infertile it could result in a deformed duckling.

This information refers to domestic ducks in the USA only. It is a violation of US federal law to disturb the eggs, nests, or raise ducklings of all wild ducks without first obtaining the necessary permits.

Gallery

• 
  A female Muscovy Duck
• Muscovy Duck
  Muscovy Duck
• 
  Domesticated muscovy ducks
• Muscovy Mule
  Muscovy Mule
• Young Muscovies
  Young Muscovies
• 
  Muscovy Duckling
• 
  Muscovy Female with Ducklings
• 
  Possible Muscovy Duck

References

• Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-0814-9600-4
• Hilty, Birds of Venezuela, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
• Ending myths about Muscovy Ducks. http://www.duckhaven.org/page9.html