Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschata
Unlike most ducks, Muscovies have strong claws on their feet to help them perch in trees and they lack a traditional 'quack' sound.
- Scientific name
- Cairina moschata
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Anseriformes › Anatidae › Cairina
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Forested wetlands, swamps, lakes, and slow-moving rivers with nearby large trees.
- Diet
- Omnivorous: consumes aquatic plants, seeds, small fish, reptiles, crustaceans, and insects.
- Range
- Mexico, Central America, South America, Southern United States
- Size
- 66-84 cm in length; 1.1-4.1 kg in weight
- Lifespan
- 8-12 years in the wild
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat destruction of tropical wetlands and overhunting in their native range.
- Safe to approach?
- Generally harmless and docile. Maintain a respectful distance of 3-5 meters, especially if they are nesting in tree cavities. Do not feed bread, as it causes 'angel wing' deformity. If they hiss or wag their tails, they are communicating discomfort; back away slowly.
The Muscovy duck ( Cairina moschata ) is a large duck native to Mexico and Central and South America. Small wild and feral breeding populations have established themselves in the United States, particularly in Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas as well as in many other parts of North America, including southern Canada. Feral Muscovy ducks are found in New Zealand, Australia, and in parts of Europe.
Photo: Bernard DUPONT, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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