Natural History

Posted in birds | Tagged Muscovy duck | 9 Comments

9 Responses

1. on March 18, 2014 at 9:25 pm Clayton Reese

   Awkward perching, using his wing talons, LOL.

   
   
2. on March 19, 2014 at 5:59 am chervilmeadow

   Do you get those pretty parachuting wood ducks in your neck of the woods. We have a few of their exotic relatives here, namely the mandarins. When these beauties appear among groups of waterbirds waiting to be fed by Thames side walkers out come the cameras. Last spring a pair of mandarins appeared in our woodland pond but they moved on after a few days apparently discouraged from staying by the arrival a slightly aggressive pair of mallards.

   
   
   • on March 19, 2014 at 6:45 am retrieverman

     There are a few feral mandarins in the US, but we actually have a native duck that is very closely related to the mandarin, which is called a wood duck. They are in the same genus Aix, and the drakes are brilliantly colored– though of a very different scheme than the mandarin drakes.

     
     
3. on March 19, 2014 at 6:10 am chervilmeadow

   By the way, I suppose you know that ‘moscovy’ is a name derived from the fact that these ducks eat a lot of mosquitos and its nothing to do with the power base of ‘Czar’ Vladimir. However, I presume that these south american ducks were domesticated more as food items rather than for their insect clearing abilities?

   
   
   • on March 19, 2014 at 6:43 am retrieverman

     No one knows why they have that name. One theory is they were sold by the Muscovy Company in London.

     
     
4. on March 19, 2014 at 8:23 am peg4x4

   My Muscovy hens migrated in the fall,came back in the spring

   
   
   • on March 21, 2014 at 12:00 pm chervilmeadow

     That’s interesting, peg, I never knew they seasonally migrated, so where do you think they go for the winter – down mexico way or beyond? Unlike in their native country Canada geese, long established and numerous here in England, are happy to stay, chomping away at grass all year round.

     
     
     • on March 21, 2014 at 12:16 pm peg4x4

       I don’t know where they went..Maybe Mexico,I think that’s where the species came from.. They just dropped out of the sky one day,said “Howdy” and went back to eating grass and bugs..

       
       
5. on March 19, 2014 at 8:31 am TheRedQueen

   The muscovies I take care of never go up into trees or bushes, but they do enjoy getting up on the fences, picnic tables and other man-made items around their yard. lol

   
   

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