Muscovy Duck

An accidental but memorable meeting with the Muscovy Duck.

I thought that I have seen it all, but once again I proved myself wrong. Another new bird species is added to the list; this time it is the Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) locally known as 'Busdoksi'. 

We met at the River cabin, right at the start of the rainy season. A period when the water in the river is at its highest and most of the trails are inaccessible.   

I guess I must have surprised it, 'cause it flew right in the middle of the Kabalebo river. At first I thought that it was a Neotropical Cormorant, but after seeing it was floating I knew immediately that it was a duck. First time ever I've seen one in Kabalebo.

Also possible that it saw a human being for the first time, because instead of swimming or flying away fast, this Muscovy duck stayed for a while and kept looking at me. After some staring down, it gave up and drifted away with the current. Luckily I was also armed and started to shoot some pictures of this remarkable meeting.

Muscovy Ducks are known as excellent swimmers and do also well when flying. It is known that these ducks are seen either alone, in pairs or in a small group. In this case it was a solitary traveler. 

They live from water plants, grass and also like a taste of vertebrates and invertebrates. In general wild Muscovy ducks are known as shy birds, one with an unmistakable appearance: huge and heavy. 

This was our first meeting, but I am looking forward to see them more often in the future.

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