Duck of the Week: Muscovy Duck

A domestic duck with a unique look.

Muscovy ducks are a hearty domestic bird. Photo by Spongeworthy93. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Muscovy ducks are a domestic breed native to the Americas. They can be found from southern Texas all the way to Argentina and Uruguay. They are a tropical bird but have been known to be successful in colder regions.

They are also one of the largest domestic ducks, often much larger than mallards and their relatives, with the males growing to as much as 7 kgs.

Muscovy ducks come with varying degrees of white and black feathers. Photo by Surprising_SnapShots.

Known to be quiet ducks, they do make some noise, but will rarely ever quack. They are a popular duck on many farms and have been domesticated for centuries, though many wild populations exist in the Americas, Hawaii, and even as far afield as Australia.