North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Richard Wagner" <rewagner@centurytel.net>]

Muscovy ducks are extremely quiet. The seldom make any sound at all and then it is just a soft ‘hissing’. Muscovies like insects. Our will range as much as a 100 yards from water going out into the pasture searching for grasshoppers and crickets. They especially like pillbugs. When I am moving flower pots, planters,  boards, etc. they rush to the fore to get the pillbugs before they can escape. They also eat small snakes. It is comical watching two muscovies playing tug of war with a snake each with a foot of snake down its throat and confounded as what to do once their bills meet in the middle.

 

Being tropical non-migratory waterfowl muscovies do not put on the thick layers of fat of common ducks. Their breasts are also about twice as large. They are especially tasty smoked.

 

Muscovies also can perch in trees and on roofs (ridges). I have a photo of one of ours perching on a barbed wire fence perfectly steady.

 

They are also very comical. and entertaining.