General Information

COMMON NAMES: Muscovy Duck, Musk Duck, Barbary Duck, Muscovia Duck; German Moschusente TRADITIONAL NAMES: Mokorā Kainga (AT), Mokorā (MK AK TW), Mokorā Kāinga (MT), Duck (PL), Mokolā (TS PK NS) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Mexico - Uruquay; domestic form - circumtropical COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land-freshwater, basically terrrestrial SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Food KEY FEATURES: A large black, pied or white duck with large (and ugly) wattles.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++	+	+	+	X	+	-	-	-

Northern Group: Present?
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
X	-	-	+OI	-	-

Cairina moschata (Linnaeus)
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); TETRAPODA; AVES; NEORNITHES; Anseriformes; ANATIDAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -. Comment: NBSAP - Takitumu (3 of 3 domestic), NBSAP - Mauke (1= of 3 domestic animals), NBSAP - Mitiaro (2 of 4 domestic animals)
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Food

GENERAL NOTE: Known as Muscovia or Muscovy Duck since at least 1650. Muscovia / Muscovy being the area of Moscow and, by extension, Russia in general. Said to be an erroneous name, with Barbary Duck, for the Musk Duck of tropical America, so named for its musky smell. The wild Muscovy Duck is a perching duck spending much time in trees in dense forests near ponds and streams. They feed mainly on aquatic plants. They are dark brown with a bright green-purple gloss, and white patches on the wings. The male is distinuished by elongate feathers forming a small crest on the head and by having small red wattles.

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

Web Resources

• Google
• Google Images