I first saw these in the Florida Keys and learned they are not native to Florida but are considered an invasive species. They are native to South America, Mexico and the extreme southern tip of Texas. Ironically, this is another case of people introducing them to a new area. They were considered an "ornamental" bird and were added to ponds and fountains by businesses and some government agencies and also purchased as pets by individuals. Now the feral population of Muscovy Duck inhabits nearly every county of Florida and are becoming pests. It really hit home when returning from the Keys I found this guy at a park near my home in Central Florida.
Vancouver47 wrote:
"ornamental" accidental is more like it, for these ugly ducklings. Nice photo's BTW
Thanks Vancouver. I agree with you. This one must be younger because he doesn't look too bad. The two I saw in the Keys made my flesh crawl!
accidental is more like it, for these ugly ducklings. Nice photo's BTW
~ Ron