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| Kingdoms / Animalia / Craniata / Aves / Anseriformes / Anatidae / Cairina / Species |
| < > Cairina moschata - Muscovy duck (Click photographs/illustrations: full picture & further details) |
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Alternative Names (Synonyms) |
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Musky duck |
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Names for newly-hatched |
Duckling, downy. |
Names for non-breeding males or other colour-phases |
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Species Author |
Debra Bourne |
Major References |
B1, B3, B6, B8, B19, B25, B26. Aviculture references: |
Other References |
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TAXA Group (where information has been collated for an entire group on a modular basis) |
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Parent Group |
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Specific Needs Group referenced in Management Techniques |
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Aviculture Information |
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Notes |
General information:
Species-specific information:
(J23.13.w7, B29, B30, B94, B97, D1). Aviornis UK Ringing Scheme recommended average ring size: U 22.0mm (males) or S 18.0mm (females) (wild-type only)(D8). |
Management Techniques |
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External Appearance (Morphology)
Measurement & Weight |
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| Length | 26-33 inches, 66-84cm (B3, B1). | |
| Adult weight | General | 1.1-4.0kg (B1) |
| Male | 2.0-4.0kg (higher in Cairina moschata domesticus - Domestic Muscovy duck) (B3); mean 6.6 lbs. (B8). | |
| Female | 1.1-1.5kg (B3); mean 2.8lbs. (B8). | |
| Newly-hatched weight | -- | |
| Growth rate | -- | |
| Adult | Bill | Male | Pinkish, with black mottling. Base enlarged to form knob. Bare facial skin, black to reddish by bill. |
| Variations (If present) | Female: Pinkish, with black mottling. | ||
| Eyes (Iris) | Male | Yellow-brown. | |
| Variations(If present) | -- | ||
| Juvenile | Bill | Pinkish, with black mottling. | |
| Eyes (Iris) | Yellow-brown. | ||
| Adult | Male | Grey-black |
| Variations (If present) | -- | |
| Juvenile | Grey-black | |
| Adult | Male | Head, neck and body
brown-black, with bushy crown
feathers and upperparts having green-purple iridescence. Wing black with white coverts. Increasing area of white with age. |
| Variations (If present) | Domestic form: Much larger, males often unable to fly. Bill knob larger, colouration variable black and white, sometimes grey and white. | |
| Juvenile | Duller brown-black with little or no white on the wing. | |
Newly-hatched Characteristics |
| General: Upperparts brown
with yellow markings on wings and rump;
underparts yellow, brown line behind eye Bill: Black. Feet: Yellow marked with grey. |
Reproductive Season |
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| Time of year | Variable, usually during rains (Panama: June; Venezuela:July). |
| No. of Clutches | -- |
Nest placement and structure |
| In tree hollows or cavities, occasionally in dense waterside vegetation, with no or little down lining. |
Egg clutches |
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| No. of Eggs | Average | -- |
| Range | 8-15 (B1, B8). | |
| Egg Description | Creamy white or with green sheen. | |
| 35 days. |
| Synchronous. |
| Perhaps up to 120 days (B1, B8). |
Sexual Maturity |
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| Males | -- |
| Females | -- |
Feeding Behaviour |
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| Adults | Dabble, up-end in shallow water, and graze on land. |
| Newly-hatched | -- |
Parental Behaviour |
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| Nest-building | Solitary nest built by female. |
| Incubation | By female only. |
| Newly-hatched | By female only. |
| Juveniles | -- |
Social Behaviour |
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| Intra-specific | Frequently found in small groups. |
| Inter-specific | -- |
Sexual Behaviour |
| No apparent pair bonds. |
Predation in Wild |
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| Roost on large high bare branches. | |
| Circadian | Crepuscular: active early morning and evening. |
| Varied diet: grasses, sedges, Aquatic plants (roots, stems, leaves, and seeds), also small fish and reptiles, and invertebrates (insects, crustaceans, arachnids): Termites are a favoured item. |
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Distribution and Movement (Migration etc.) |
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| Normal | Tropical Central and South America: Mexico to eastern Peru and northern Uruguay. Mostly sedentary: small local movements depending on water availability. Some larger movement: recorded in Texas (USA), Trinidad, coastal Peru, Buenos Aires Province (Argentina). |
| Occasional and Accidental | -- |
| Introduced | -- |
| Lowlands, mainly tropical wooded wetlands, breeding near slow-moving rivers. Occasionally coastal lagoons and swamps in non-breeding season. |
Intraspecific variation |
| Hybridises with the domestic form Cairina moschata domesticus - Domestic Muscovy duck. |
Conservation Status |
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| Wild Population - (Importance) |
Widespread and still locally common in some areas. |
| CITES listing | CITES III in Honduras. |
| Red-data book listing | -- |
| Threats | Hunting, habitat destruction, hybridisation with the domestic form Cairina moschata domesticus - Domestic Muscovy duck. |
Captive Populations |
| Relatively uncommon in the wild form
in collections. Cairina moschata domesticus - Domestic Muscovy duck sometimes hybridises with Anas platyrhynchos domesticus - Domestic duck to produce Anas platyrhynchos domesticus x Cairina moschata domesticus - Mule duck. |
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