Muscovy Ducks are a breed of duck also known by their scientific name, Cairina moschat, and their secondary name, the Barbary Drake. These ducks are very unique and easily distinguishable based on their strange appearance. Resembling a turkey with thick, red facial skin, Muscovy ducks were named after the city Moscow in Russia.
To learn more about mating habits, physical characteristics, and what makes the Muscovy Duck a unique and interesting breed of duck, continue reading below.
Muscovy Ducks Origins and Uses
Muscovy Ducks are particularly huge ducks that originated in North America. Commonly found in the United States in Florida, Massachusetts, and out in the Pacific Ocean on the Big Island of Hawaii, these ducks are one of the biggest duck breeds in the world.
Muscovy Ducks in the Wild
While Muscovy Ducks are said to be named after Moscow, Russia, they have nothing to do with the place. Originally native to the Americas, Hawaii, New Zealand, and very small and warm parts of Europe, the Muscovy Duck is not common in or native to Russia at all.
Muscovy Ducks are considered tropical birds and do very well in hot and humid temperatures. They do, however, also thrive in cold temperatures if introduced to them gradually. When a Muscovy Duck is in a hot climate, its feathers get a slick sheen and flatten out to keep them cool. When in a cold climate, the duck puffs up and their feathers become downier.
The Domestication of Muscovy Ducks
The domestication of Muscovy Ducks is a controversial topic because they are said to be domesticated in both the United States by English settlers or pioneers and by indigenous people in Peru before the time of the Conquistadors.
After being domesticated in South America, the Muscovy Ducks were then distributed across the Americas along with Scarlet McCaws and Turkeys by European settlers. This is, perhaps, why some consider them domesticated in the United States.
Historical Uses of Muscovy Ducks
Muscovy Ducks were originally used as poultry for villages, towns, settlements, and families tending to farms. Since the Muscovy Duck meat is so thick, dense, and pungent, it was considered healthier and more filling for those with less food to spare. The leftovers of the bird including tendons, feet, skin, and bones were then often turned into a soup that benefited from the Muscovy’s strong flavor.
Modern Uses of Muscovy Ducks
Modern uses for the Muscovy Duck, however, tend to differ. This breed of duck is now beloved for its strong, large, and unique appearance and kept either as pets or as egg-laying ducks. However, some still eat Muscovy Duck meat as a delicacy due to its veal-like texture and flavorful taste.
Physical Characteristics of Muscovy Ducks
Muscovy Ducks are easy to spot because they look like no other duck breed. They have a strong, thick, heavy body, wide-set long webbed feet that cause them to waddle, a long sloping bill, and bumpy skin-like facial marking that makes them reminiscent of turkeys and their gobbles. More characteristics of Muscovy Ducks are:
- Height: Muscovy Ducks can grow up to around 26 to 33 inches. Their wingspan can also grow to 54 to 60 inches depending on the height of the bird. Male and female Muscovies tend to grow to the same height.
- Weight: The weight of Muscovy Ducks can fluctuate greatly in adulthood depending on their diet and the location in which they live. Adult Muscovies can grow to anywhere from 2.4 to 9 pounds.
- Coloring: The Muscovy Duck coloring is simple but distinctive. Their colors can include any mix of white, brown, black, black back feathers with a turquoise green sheen, gray, or beige. They can sometimes be speckled or splotchy, or even just one-toned. Their facial features include a single-colored head with light brown or golden eyes and a red face crown like a Turkey.
- Feathers: The feathers of a Muscovy Duck are important to the duck’s ability to both heat and cool itself depending on the weather. Their feathers are long, thick, and strong, and their undercoats tend to be shiny with green or blue hints.
- Patterns: Muscovy Ducks have generally neutral patterns similar to that of cows. Black, white, and brown splotches or sprawling markings are the most common, while some Muscovy Ducks get tiny spots around their necks while others are one color completely.
Do Muscovy Ducks Fly?
Unlike Indian Runner Ducks, Penguins, or typical Chickens that are mostly earth-bound without the ability to fly, Muscovy Ducks are wonderful at flying. They are known to fly long distances and very high and even enjoy roosting on trees if any are available in the area.
While all Muscovy Ducks can technically fly, domesticated Muscovies are not as skilled at flying as their wild or feral cousins who used to migrate to and from warm areas annually.
Muscovy Duck Lifespan
Muscovy Ducks have an exceptionally long life span and can foster generations of duck families. When living in captivity, Muscovy Ducks can live up to 20 years with the proper food, care, attention, and hydration. When living in the wild, Muscovy Ducks live 8 to 12 years because they are at constant risk from predators.
Wild Muscovy Ducks are also facing a habitat crisis. Urban sprawl, pollution, and global warming have been destroying their habitat and natural home, therefore resulting in generally lesser lifespans.
Muscovy Duck Diet
Muscovy Ducks love to forage for food by dabbling in water or grazing through meadows. Whether they are wild ducks or ducks kept as pets or for eggs in captivity, if they have a water source nearby odd are that they will often be found combing through its foliage. Muscovy Ducks love to eat the following:
- Small fish like minnow
- Amphibians like small frogs and tadpoles
- Reptiles such as little lizards or small snakes
- Crustaceans
- Insects like grasshoppers, slugs, and crickets
- Millipedes
If feeding a Muscovy Duck family in captivity, it is important to offer them as many nutrients as possible to keep their coats healthy and lustrous to protect against the weather. Feeding them a mixture of plants, vegetables, seeds, and insects will keep them satisfied.
Muscovy Duck Breeding and Egg Production
Muscovy Ducks are not picky about where they mate when mating season comes along. They are known to mate on both dry lands and in water depending on what landscape is available and feels safe enough to them. When Muscovy Ducks mate in the water, the female is mostly submerged with her head out of the water while the male rests atop the water above her. Muscovy Ducks often mate long-term or even for life.
Muscovy Ducks are great egg producers. Female Muscovy Ducks lay almost 200 eggs per year and hatch and raise around four sets of baby Muscovy Ducklings annually. Much like Chickens, Muscovy Ducks spend most of their time sitting on their eggs and keeping an eye on them until they hatch, later raising them closely as overbearing and caring mothers.
The typical incubation period for fertilized Muscovy Eggs is anywhere from 33 days to 38 days until hatching.
Muscovy Duck Behavior
One of the most unique traits of a Muscovy Duck is that this breed does not make a noise like other chatty duck breeds. Muscovy Ducks are very quiet, docile, and sensitive, and they do not quack loudly. Females can sometimes make a small purring or trilling sound to their mates and male Muscovy Ducks are known to become loud and aggressive only if attacked or surprised. Other Muscovy Duck behaviors include:
- Wagging tails when pleased
- Puffing up when threatened
- Trilling and purring when contented
- Grooming when contented
- Soft closing of the eyes when being pet
Muscovy Ducks are friendly and great ducks to have as pets because they enjoy attention from people and do not often feel afraid of or threatened by the presence of their owners or guests.
Muscovy Ducks as Pets
Many people, especially those with small children, enjoy keeping the large Muscovy Duck breed as pets. This is because they tend to be quiet and cordial to humans. If considering getting a group or family of Muscovy Ducks as pets, consider the following:
- All ducks smell and you should be prepared to clean duck feces from hay and water regularly
- Muscovy Ducks enjoy having tall trees nearby
- Muscovy Ducks are not loud but can become loud when unhappy or afraid
- Muscovy Ducks required being fed at least twice per day
- Muscovy Ducks are social animals and should be kept with other ducks of the same breed
For those who do not feel that they can accommodate such a large flying duck that also ideally has access to water, you might want to try caring for a smaller and more common breed of duck before committing to having Muscovy Ducks.
Tips on Muscovy Duck Care
The most imperative tip for any duck owner who wants to care for their Muscovy Ducks is to keep clean water on hand at all times. Even if you live near a pond, stream, creek, lake, or river that your Muscovy Ducks have total access to, you should always keep a pan of clean spring water for your Muscovies.
The best place to put this pan or multiple pans is near your ducks’ overnight house or roosting area. This way, when they are locked away safely for the night, they will always have access to clean drinking water and fresh water to wash their faces. Muscovy Ducks are especially particular about washing their faces and enjoy cleaning themselves and their partners multiple times per day.
Muscovy Duck Cost
The total cost of keeping Muscovy Ducks depends highly on your duck-keeping setup, what area you live in, whether you also keep other duck breeds, and what your particular ducks prefer to eat. The cost of purchasing Muscovy Duck eggs to start your own little Muscovy Duck farm either for egg-eating or to have as pets is as follows:
- Purchasing 1 to 30 Muscovy Duck eggs can cost over $6 per egg
- Purchasing 30 to 60 eggs can cost around $6 per egg
- Purchasing around 61 to 119 Muscovy Duckling eggs can cost around $5 per egg
- Purchasing 120 to 179 eggs can cost around $4.35 per egg
- Purchasing more than 180 eggs costs around $3.75 per egg
Noteworthy Facts about Muscovy Ducks
While Muscovy Ducks love water and have temperature regulating feathers, they don’t spend as much time in the water as one may think due to their oil glands being slightly less developed than that of other water birds.
For anyone partial to these large, beautiful birds, consider becoming a Muscovy Duck pet owner. Their sweet purring and tail wags will put a smile on your face as you care for them each day.
Info Table
| Purpose | Meat Birds |
| Country of origin | South America |
| Breed Class | Heavy |
| Weight – Drake | 10-15lbs |
| Weight – Hen | 6-8lbs |
| Eggs per year | 180 |
| Egg size [S/M/L] | Large |
| Egg weight | 2.7 ounces |
| Egg production age | 28 weeks |
| Diet | Small fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Crustaceans, Millipedes, Insects |
| Lifespan | 8-20 years |
| Flying ability | Can Fly |
| Personality | Non-Aggressive, Like Human Interaction |
| Distinguishing features | Long Necks, Long Bill, Long Tail |
| Varieties | Black, Blue, White, Chocolate |
| Cost (USD) | $3-$6 |