Muscovy Duck

Most birders know the Muscovy only from having seen the dumpy domesticated version. Wild Muscovies, native to the American tropics, are wary, fast-flying birds of wooded rivers and swamps. Most Muscovies seen in North America are of the barnyard variety, but small numbers of wild birds from northeastern Mexico may appear on the Rio Grande in southern Texas. These big ducks nest in cavities in trees, and cavities large enough have become harder to find as riverside trees have been cut. However, they will also use nest boxes, and many such boxes have been put in place in Mexico by the organization Ducks Unlimited.