Cairina moschata
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) is a species of duck native to the Americas, from the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Mexico south to Argentina and Uruguay. The species has been domesticated, and feral Muscovy ducks can be found locally in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and in Central and Eastern Europe.
It is a large duck, with the males significantly larger than the females. The males are 76–84 cm (30–33 in) long and weigh up to 3–4 kg (6.6–8.8 lb); females are 71–76 cm (28–30 in) long and 1.25 kg (2.8 lb) weight, roughly half the weight of the males. The wingspan is from 137 to 152 cm (54 to 60 in). The plumage is predominantly black, with large white patches on the wing; the back and wing feathers being iridescent and glossy in males, while the females are more drab. Muscovy ducks have long claws on their feet and a wide, flat tail.
On the head, the male has a short crest on the nape. The bill is black with a speckling of pale pink. A blackish or dark red knob can be seen at the bill base, which is similar in colour to the bare skin of the face. The eyes are yellowish-brown. The legs and webbed feet are blackish. The female is similar in plumage... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Ciudad Juárez | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Davao City | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 5 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Antalya | 🇹🇷 Turkey | |
| 7 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 8 | Goiânia | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Campinas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Muscovy Duck sighting in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 161st most-seen of the 182 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Muscovy Duck in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months. That is one of Ostional Wildlife Refuge's wettest months, with about 470 mm of rain against 15 mm in February.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Muscovy Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
41st of 65
Of the 65 parks where we can rate Muscovy Duck sightings, Ostional Wildlife Refuge ranks 41st at under 5%. The best odds are in Lago de Yojoa (Honduras, about 40%), Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 40%) and Anavilhanas National Park (Brazil, about 30%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Muscovy Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Ostional Wildlife Refuge (21 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
