Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschata domestica
Also called Barbary Duck, Pato Criollo, Domestic Muscovy
From Central and South America (native range from Texas/Mexico to Argentina); domesticated by Native American peoples before 1492. Oklahoma State University places its development in Brazil.123
At a glance the quick version
Omlet gives 4.5-5.5 kg drakes and 2-3 kg ducks; Oklahoma State University gives 10-15 lb (about 4.5-6.8 kg) drakes and 5-7 lb (about 2.3-3.2 kg) ducks, occasionally up to about 4.5 kg; Burke's Backyard says drakes can reach 8 kg. Wild birds are much lighter.
Looks how to spot one
Glossy feathers with bare facial skin
A large, broad duck with a long flat tail and strong clawed feet for gripping branches. Both sexes have bare red skin with knobbly caruncles around the eyes and bill, and drakes are much bigger, with a short crest they can raise. Length figures (71-84 cm) refer to wild birds.135
Personality what they are like
Calm, placid and slow-moving, with individual personalities; many will take food from the hand and wag their tails when pleased. They prefer not to be picked up, and ducks are the easier pets while drakes are best kept with plenty of room. Instead of quacking, drakes give a soft hiss and ducks a quiet trill or short squeak.541
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Females and lighter birds fly well and like to perch and roost up high, so wing-clipping or a covered run is common; heavy drakes mostly stay on the ground. They snap up flying insects around the yard.546
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Muscovies swim less than other ducks because their oil glands are smaller, so a bathing tub is enough rather than a pond. Supply clean drinking water deep enough to dip the head, and shallow troughs for ducklings.3457
Home where they are happiest
A secure, predator-proof night shelter with around 0.4-0.55 m2 (4-6 sq ft) per bird, plus a fenced or covered run. Roosting perches suit their tree-perching habit. They cope well with cold down to about -12 C.7541
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A good-quality duck or waterfowl feed as the base, with greens, grass clippings and vegetables as extras, plus the insects they catch themselves. Keep avocado, chocolate, onion, garlic and mouldy food away from them.57
Company who they like around
Social birds best kept in a small group, ideally with more ducks than drakes.75
The story where it all began
The Muscovy is a separate species from the mallard and was domesticated in the Americas by Native American peoples long before Europeans arrived. Traders carried it to Europe from the 1500s, and today it is kept worldwide for meat, eggs and as a gentle, quiet pet.124
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It is the only domestic duck that does not descend from the mallard.3
- 2
Despite the name, it has nothing to do with Moscow; the name may come from its musky scent or from the Muscovy Company that traded the birds.5
- 3
Muscovy eggs take about 35 days to hatch, a week longer than mallard-type ducks.3
- 4
Drakes do not quack; they communicate with a low hiss.4
- 5
Unlike most domestic ducks, Muscovies like to perch and roost in trees.4
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Muscovy Duck. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Fresh food and waterWater deep enough to dip the whole headevery day
- Egg collectevery day
- House spot cleanevery day
- Pool refreshA paddling pool or pond to splash inevery 2 days
- House full cleanevery 2 weeks
- Free rangeDaily time outside in a safe runevery day
- Vet check-upFind a vet who sees poultry and waterfowlevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Muscovy duck - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for names, native range, domestication, wild size, appearance, voice, eggs, etymology
- Domestic duck - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for lifespan, mallard ancestry, domestic behaviour
- Muscovy Ducks - Oklahoma State University Breeds of Livestock breeds.okstate.eduused for origin, weights, colours, caruncles, claws, incubation, oil glands
- Muscovy Ducks - Omlet omlet.usused for history, weights, varieties, temperament, voice, roosting, eggs, broodiness
- Muscovy - Burke's Backyard pet road test burkesbackyard.com.auused for weights, colours, temperament, voice, flight, lifespan, care, name
- Compare Duck Breeds - Metzer Farms metzerfarms.comused for weights, eggs, flying, foraging, broodiness, conservation rank
- Duck Care Guide - Long Island Bird & Exotics Veterinary Clinic birdexoticsvet.comused for housing, water, diet, social needs, predator protection
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.