Common Domestic duck? Oklahoma, US (1 Viewer)

[OK_Scissortail]

I saw this one on a secluded pond..looks domestic to me but I have been wrong before. It was alone, no other ducks. This duck stayed perfectly still as if thinking if it doesn't move we won't see it.

 

[Bird Hard 2]

It's a Muscovy Duck. Do they occur as far north as Oklahoma, or is it likely to be a domesticated one (which is quite common and I guess the most likely case away from the Texas/Mexico border)?

 

[Jim M.]

It is the domestic form of Muscovy Duck. Only the domestic form has the red facial skin patch, and the wild form has white only on the wings. The wild form is a rare vagrant to southernmost Texas only, as far as I know.

Best,
Jim

 

[Dave B Smith]

Agree with above on domestic Muscovy. Not sure that I agree with the comment on red facial skin patch distinguishing it as domestic though - see this photo of wild Muscovy Duck for comparison.

 

[Jim M.]

Agree with above on domestic Muscovy. Not sure that I agree with the comment on red facial skin patch distinguishing it as domestic though - see this photo of wild Muscovy Duck for comparison.

I was wondering about that as I wrote it. Sibley's paintings of wild Muscovy ducks show no red facial patch at all. And he states that domestic Muscovy Ducks have a "redder face". But perhaps there is some variation in the wild population as well, and it is the degree of the color that is significant. Alternatively, the photo you linked to might not be a purely wild bird. Here is a photo of a bird that looks more like Sibleys paintings: http://www.valdosta.edu/~bergstrm/muscovy.jpg

Best,
Jim

 

[Dave B Smith]

Jim,
Your comment about the photo I linked too possibly not being completely wild is certainly possible. Especially with the number of domestic / feral Muscovies kept even within this birds natural range and the suspected feral / wild pair breeding that goes on.

I'd agree that in the wild, the male Muscovy typically has a smaller area of red wattles than in domestic Muscovy but they do have them. The female doesn't have this red wattle and this may explain some of the photos / pictures.