Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschata
Distribution:
Native to Mexico and Central and South America
Habitat:
Forested swamps, lakes and streams, coastal and lowlands.
Diet:
Worms, insects, fish and reptiles; plant material, including weed, leaves, stems, seeds and roots.
Gestation:
They breed year round, nesting in tree hollows. They lay approximately ten eggs in a clutch, incubated for 35 days. The female incubates and raises the chicks alone.
Longevity:
Seven to eight years
Predators:
Larger reptiles and mammals; in the wild smaller reptiles and mammals (snakes, raccoons) will eat eggs and ducklings.
Conservation Status:
Least concern
General:
"Muscovy" is an old name for the region of Russia surrounding Moscow, but these ducks are neither native there nor were introduced there before they became known in Western Europe. It could have been named after the company that imported them into Europe in the fifteenth century, or possibly just named after a place considered 'exotic' by Europeans at the time.
Muscovy ducks had been domesticated in South America before Europeans arrived. They spread across the world as an imported domestic species.
In New Zealand, most 'wild' Muscovies originated as domestic birds and so they are often not very shy of humans. There are some small feral populations in NZ.
They are capable flyers, but are reluctant to do so. Their long claws assist with perching in trees. They do not form large flocks.