The Menacing Muscovy Duck

Photo Courtesy of Robert Hockey

The Muscovy Duck's original home is in parts of the Amazon River in South America. It was first introduced in Florida and now it has spread all over the United States. Natives of South America kept Muscovies as a food source. Then Spanish explorers liked how it tasted. When they brought the Muscovy to Europe, the Europeans liked it, so they brought it to North America.

The scientific name of the Muscovy duck is Cainina Moschata.The weight of the Muscovy is usually around four or five pounds--a large duck, as you can see. Large patches of warty, red bumps encircle the eyes and the base of the bill. They can have variable patterns of black and white. They eat a lot of different kinds of plants including agricultural crops. They also eat small fish, reptiles, and insects.

The Muscovy duck can transmit diseases and parasites to native ducks. By digging nests out of bushy areas, they can kill other ducks and they may start breeding with other duck species. One solution could be by removing some eggs from the nest, shaking them vigorously and returning the eggs to their nest. That should stop the mother from laying more eggs. A lot of the time people cease all feeding programs. If people stop all feeding programs the duck should go back to its original home along the Amazon River in South America.

HOME PAGE