The Muscovies

Muscovy ducks - a double misnomer since they have nothing at all to do with Russia and are more like geese in many ways. These are perching ducks, not descended from wild mallards as are regular ducks, and they have other characteristics that set them apart: they don't quack but hiss and their eggs have a longer incubation period, they are not so well endowed with oil glands and don't need water to the same extent. They are New World natives and their misleading name may have derived from musky ducks or mosquito ducks - they are insatiable insect eaters and useful for getting rid of pests in the garden.

Not everyone finds them attractive. The drake in particular bears this rubicund visor known as a caruncle, the equivalent of a turkey's wattle or a cock's comb. It signifies his potency. Speaking of which, the sexual appetite of ducks is notorious and the male muscovy is startlingly well equipped in this department. Without going into more explicit detail I will simply provide a link for those inclined to pursue the subject further. (No wonder he's looking so smug.)

Another curious fact: the question of whether these birds are Kosher (and therefore edible for Orthodox Jews) has never been satisfactorily resolved and remains the subject of on-going debate.

This is one is the drake, Funky, his mate is Punky.