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Muscovy duck

The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) is a large duck native to Mexico, Central, and South America. Small wild and feral breeding populations have established themselves in the United States, particularly in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and South Florida 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.



The domestic breed, Cairina moschata forma domestica, is commonly known in Spanish as the pato criollo ("creole duck"). They have been bred since pre-Columbian times by Native Americans and are heavier and less able to fly long distances than the wild subspecies. Their plumage color are also more variable. Other names for the domestic breed in Spanish are pato casero ("backyard duck") and pato mudo ("mute duck").


"True wild" Muscovy duck
Cairina moschata momelanotus head details

[clarification needed]






Male Muscovy ducks have spiralled penises which can become erect to 20 cm (7.9 in) in one third of a second. Females have cloacas that spiral in the opposite direction to try to limit forced copulation by males.[8]

Domestic varieties[edit]

  • Black
  • Blue
  • Chocolate
  • Pied (white with any color mixed)
  • White
  • Lavender
  • Bronze
  • Ripple
  • and many more pastel colors, but these are very rare.

Etymology, taxonomy and systematics[edit]

The term "Muscovy" means "from the Moscow region", but these ducks are neither native there nor were they introduced there before they became known in Western Europe. It is not quite clear how the term came about; it very likely originated between 1550 and 1600, but did not become widespread until somewhat later.

In one suggestion, it has been claimed that the Company of Merchant Adventurers to New Lands traded these ducks to Europe occasionally after 1550;[9] this chartered company became eventually known as the Muscovy Company or "Muscovite Company" so the ducks might thus have come to be called "Muscovite ducks" or "Muscovy ducks" in keeping with the common practice of attaching the importer's name to the products they sold.[9] But while the Muscovite Company initiated vigorous trade with Russia, they hardly, if at all, traded produce from the Americas; thus they are unlikely to have traded C. moschata to a significant extent.

Alternatively—just as in the "turkey" (which is also from America), or the "guineafowl" (which are not limited to Guinea)—"Muscovy" might be simply a generic term for a hard-to-reach and exotic place, in reference to the singular appearance of these birds. This is evidenced by other names suggesting the species came from lands where it is not actually native, but from where much "outlandish" produce was imported at that time (see below).


The Miskito Indians of the Miskito Coast in Nicaragua and Honduras relied heavily on this domestic species. The ducks may have been named after this region.

Muscovy drake

The species was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 edition of Systema Naturae as Anas moschata,[10] literally meaning "musk duck". His description only consists of a curt but entirely unequivocal [Anas] facie nuda papillosa ("A duck with a naked and carunculated face"), and his primary reference is his earlier work Fauna Svecica.[11] But Linnaeus refers also to older sources, and therein much information on the origin of the common name is found.




A domestic Muscovy duck with wings outstretched


This species was formerly placed into the paraphyletic "perching duck" assemblage, but subsequently moved to the dabbling duck subfamily (Anatinae). Analysis of the mtDNA sequences of the cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 genes,[18] however, indicates that it might be closer to the genus Aix and better placed in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae. In addition, the other species of Cairina, the rare white-winged duck (C. scutulata), seems to belong into a distinct genus. The generic name Cairina, meanwhile, traces its origin to Aldrovandi, and ultimately to the mistaken belief that the birds came from Egypt: translated, the current scientific name of the Muscovy duck means "the musky one from Cairo".


This non-migratory species normally inhabits forested swamps, lakes, streams and nearby grassland and farm crops,[19] and often roosts in trees at night. The Muscovy duck's diet consists of plant material obtained by grazing or dabbling in shallow water, and small fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, insects, and millipedes.[20] This is a somewhat aggressive duck; males often fight over food, territory or mates. The females fight with each other less often. Some adults will peck at the ducklings if they are eating at the same food source.



Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden




For the first few weeks of their lives, Muscovy duckling feed on grains, corn, grass, insects, and almost anything that moves. Their mother instructs them at an early age how to feed.

Feral bird[edit]


Feral Muscovy ducks can breed near urban and suburban lakes and on farms, nesting in tree cavities or on the ground, under shrubs in yards, on apartment balconies, or under roof overhangs. Some feral populations, such as that in Florida, have a reputation of becoming nuisance pests on occasion.[21] At night they often sleep at water, if there is a water source available, to flee quickly from predators if awoken. A small population of Muscovy ducks can also be found in Ely, Cambridgeshire, and in Lincoln, Lincolnshire UK. Muscovy ducks have also been spotted in Walsall Arboretum.


Legal methods to restrict breeding include not feeding these ducks, deterring them with noise or by chasing, and finding nests and vigorously shaking the eggs to render them non-viable. Returning the eggs to the nest will avoid re-laying as the female would if the clutch were removed.

Recent legislation in the USA prohibits trading of Muscovy ducks and plans for eradication are in order to solve nuisance problems.[20]




Piebald drake




Lavender hen


A study examining birds in northwestern Colombia for blood parasites found the Muscovy duck to be more frequently infected with Haemoproteus and malaria (Plasmodium) parasites than chickens, domestic pigeons and domestic turkeys,[note 1] and in fact almost all wild bird species studied also. It was noted that in other parts of the world, chickens were more susceptible to such infections than in the study area, but it may well be that Muscovy ducks are generally more often infected with such parasites (which might not cause pronounced disease though, and are harmless to humans).[27]

Kosher status[edit]

As noted above, the Kosher status of the Muscovy duck has been a matter of dispute among deciders of Jewish Law (poskim) in previous generations. Although some consider the Muscovy duck to be non-kosher,[note 2][note 3] others continue to disagree.

In 2008, a "Mesora Dinner" was held to reaffirm the kosher status of various species, and Muscovy duck was on the menu. In discussing the halachic issues surrounding the species' kosher status, it was noted that the Muscovy duck was "highly controversial, due to its ban in America by the acerbic Rabbi Bernard Illowy in the mid-1800s. As such, it is still not recognized as kosher in the [United] States today, but in Israel, no such ban ever existed."[30]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ In the single domestic guineafowl studied, no blood parasites were found either; the sample size precludes a direct comparison however.
  2. ^ Many authorities argue that not all species of duck should be accepted as kosher because certain species have no accepted tradition (M'sorah). Many decline to approve the use of a species known as the Muscovy duck and its hybrid, known as mulard duck.[28]
  3. ^ In a two-page Kol Koreh proclamation, published in "Der Yid" of January 22, 2010, the Muscovy is carefully and detailedly analyzed and found to be not kosher, calling it a tumah, contaminated, bird. The Kol Koreh carries the signatures of Rabbi Shlomo Zvi Stern, DebricenerRav; Rabbi Yitzchok Stein, Foltechaner Dayan; Rabbi Yitzchak Eliezer Yakub, Rav of Beis Medrash Tevuos Shor and author of Siach Yitzchok; Rabbi Yaakov Zeida, Dayan of Vishnitz; and Rabbi Yechezkel Roth, Karlsburger Rav and author of Emek HaTeshuvah.[29]


  2. ^ Donkin, R.A. (1989). Muscovy duck, Cairina moschata domestica: Origins, Dispersal, and Associated Aspects of the Geography of Domestication. B.R. Rotterdam: A.A. Balkema Publishers. ISBN 9789061915447. 
  3. ^ Holderread 2001, p. 17
  5. ^ "Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata". oiseaux-birds.com. 
  6. ^ Cisneros-Heredia, Diego F. (2006). "Información sobre la distribución de algunas especies de aves de Ecuador" [Information on the distribution of some species of birds of Ecuador]. Boletín de la Sociedad Antioqueña de Ornitología (in Spanish with English abstract) 16 (1): 7–16. 
  7. ^ Wójcik, Ewa; Smalec, Elżbieta (2008). "Description of the Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) Karyotype" (PDF). Folia Biologica (Kraków) 56 (3–4): 243–248. doi:10.3409/fb.56_3-4.243-248. 
  9. ^ a b Holderread 2001, p. 73–74
  10. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). "61.13". Anas moschata. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). vol. 1 (10th ed.) (Stockholm ("Holmius"): Lars Salvius). p. 124. 
  11. ^ a b Linnaeus, Carl (1746). "98". Anas facie nuda papillosa. Fauna Svecica Sistens Animalia Sveciæ Regni, etc. (in Latin) (1st: 35 ed.) (Leiden ("Lugdunum Batavorum"): Conrad & Georg Jacob Wishoff). 
  13. ^ Aldrovandi 1637, p. 192–201
  14. ^ Aldrovandi 1637, p. 192, 194: Anas indica alia
  15. ^ Willughby 1676, p. 294–295
  16. ^ Ray, John (Joannis Raii) (1713): Synopsis methodica avium & piscium: opus posthumum, etc. (vol. 1) [in Latin]. William Innys, London, p. 150: Anglicē, the Muscovy-Duck dicitur, non quōd ē Muscovia huc translata esset, sed quōd satis validum moschi odorem spiret.
  17. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1747). Anas facie nuda papillosa. Wästgöta-Resa, etc. 134 (in Swedish) (Stockholm ("Holmius"): Lars Salvius). 
  18. ^ Johnson, Kevin P.; Sorenson, Michael D. (1999). "Phylogeny and biogeography of dabbling ducks (genus Anas): a comparison of molecular and morphological evidence". Auk 116 (3): 792–805. doi:10.2307/4089339. 
  19. ^ Accordi, Iury Almeida; Barcellos, André (2006). "Composição da avifauna em oito áreas úmidas da Bacia Hidrográfica do Lago Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul" [Bird composition and conservation in eight wetlands of the hydrographic basin of Guaíba lake, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil] (PDF). Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia (in Portuguese with English abstract) 14 (2): 101–115. 
  20. ^ a b US Fish and Wildlife Service (1 March 2010). "Migratory Bird Permits; Control of Muscovy Ducks, Revisions to the Waterfowl Permit Exceptions and Waterfowl Sale and Disposal Permits Regulations". Federal Register 75 (39): 9316. 
  21. ^ Johnson, Steve A.; Hawk, Michelle (March 2009). "Florida's Introduced Birds: Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata)". University of Florida. Retrieved 6 February 2012. 
  22. ^ Pranty, Bill (24 May 2001). "Re: Red-crowned Parrot". FLORIDABIRDS-L listserv. 
  23. ^ Holderread 2001, p. 97
  25. ^ van der Wouden, J.C.; Bueving, H.J.; Poole, P. (2005). "Preventing influenza: an overview of systematic reviews". Respiratory Medicine 99 (11): 1341–1349. doi:10.1016/j.rmed.2005.07.001. PMID 16112852. 
  26. ^ Vickers, Andrew J.; Smith, Claire (2012). Mathie, Robert T., ed. "Homoeopathic Oscillococcinum for preventing and treating influenza and influenza-like syndromes". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 12: CD001957. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001957.pub5. PMID 23235586. 
  27. ^ Londono, Aurora; Pulgarin-R., Paulo C.; Blair, Silva (2007). "Blood Parasites in Birds From the Lowlands of Northern Colombia". Caribbean Journal of Science 43 (1): 87–93. 
  28. ^ Blech, Zushe Yosef (2009). Kosher Food Production. John Wiley and Sons. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-8138-2093-4. 
  29. ^ Tannenbaum, Rabbi Gershon (27 January 2010). "My Machberes: Muscovy Duck 2010". The Jewish Press. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010. 
  30. ^ "English Menu Jerusalem 2008". halachicadventures.com. 23 June 2010. 


Further reading[edit]



Source: Wikipedia


