When most people think of Muscovy ducks, they think of the large, grotesque looking domesticated ducks kept for meat and egg production and are commonly seen inhabiting many public parks around the globe. However, the wild Muscovy is quite the handsome duck. The wild Muscovy is primarily black, with a beautiful greenish gloss with white wing coverts. Domestic Muscovies tend to have varying degrees of white feather patterns on the body plumage. Males have long feathers on the head, forming a crest. The bare skin on the face of the wild males is mostly black, outlined by red caruncles, which are nowhere near the cartoonish level of some of their domestic male counterparts. The wild females are smaller than the males, with a less glossy plumage, though still black with iridescent green, less white on the wings and lack the crest and large caruncles. Domestic females also run the gamut of variable patterns and colors, too. The Muscovy at Pinola are a new addition from Weltvogelpark Walsrode in Germany and look fantastic, and are a great example of the true wild type Muscovy.
