Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschata
Muscovy Ducks are New World dabblers, but soon after the Spanish invasion into Mezo-America, they brought these birds to Europe and domesticated them.
There are three varieties of these ducks: domestic, feral, and wild. Wild birds are extensively hunted, and so are quite shy and not likely to frequent places where humans habituate. We find domestic birds on farms and in public parks. Feral birds are wild, in the sense of being free flying ducks, but the gene pool is not pure. The birds pictured in the gallery below belong to this last group. Their behavior and any white feathers on their heads rule them out as true wild ducks.
Taxonomists regard the Muscovy Duck as monotypic (i.e. no subspecies).
At over six-and-a-half pounds, with a 48 inch wingspan, male Muscovy Ducks are larger than some geese species. Despite their large size, it may come as a surprise to learn of their love of tree life and perching in high places. Like Wood Ducks, Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducks, golden-eye ducks, Hooded Mergansers and a few other species, Muscovy Ducks nest in tree cavities.
Only in south Texas will we find these wild ducks in the USA. But many regions through Mexico, Central and South America host Muscovy Ducks. They are nonmigratory and remain in territory wherever they live.
When I found myself in south Texas during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, I settled in at an RV park (Breeze Lake) in Brownsville. The property featured a resaca, or ox-bow lake along its southern boundary. Feral Muscovy Ducks were some of the birds that entertained me during the lock-down period, when few other birding venues were available. Especially fun was the time a momma brought her brood onshore, and I captured a few images.
21 Photos
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: My "home base" in Brownsville Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border. I spent my mornings checking out the local birdlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:05 12:11 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D500381-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: My "home base" in Brownsville Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border. I spent my mornings checking out the local birdlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:05 12:13 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 340 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D500390-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:46 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507735-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:47 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507768-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:47 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507774-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:48 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/2500 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507823-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:48 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507835-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:48 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507860-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:48 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507870-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:49 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/2500 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507930-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:50 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507964-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: My "home base" in Brownsville Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border. I spent my mornings checking out the local birdlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:03 9:29 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/9.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D508649-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: My "home base" in Brownsville Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border. I spent my mornings checking out the local birdlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:03 9:29 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/9.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D508650-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: My "home base" in Brownsville Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border. I spent my mornings checking out the local bird life and found this large duck being chased into at resaca bank by a female Great-Tailed Grackle. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:03 9:29 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/9.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D508675-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: My "home base" in Brownsville Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border. I spent my mornings checking out the local birdlife. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:04 10:22 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 360 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D509081-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Momma Muscovy Duck with her new brood. The camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, Several feeder stations, with tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:26 8:24 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/200 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D508154Breeze-Lake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Momma Muscovy Duck with her new brood. The camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, Several feeder stations, with tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:26 8:28 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D508197Breeze-Lake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Momma Muscovy Duck with her new brood. The camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, Several feeder stations, with tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:26 8:29 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D508213Breeze-Lake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:48 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507887-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:48 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507825-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Muscovy Duck(Cairina moschata) |
|
Description: Muscovy ducks are huge. A big male can have a five foot wingspan. There are 3 varieties: wild, feral, and domestic. Wild birds are usually secretive. These birds (likely feral) showed up at my "home base" in Brownsville Texas, where a "Resaca" or Oxbow lake is on its southern border. I spent April Fools morning checking out the local bird life. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:01 8:48 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 280 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: MuscovyDuck_D507837-BreezeLake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Click map markers to reveal further information
