Help me id this bird!

[poison ivy]

Okay this weird bird has been visiting my yard for the past couple of days and I'm completely stumped as to what it is. We call it the chicken duck. When I first saw him, I thought "Why is there a rooster in our yard?," but it has webbed feet and swims with an all-black, duck-like companion. I've looked through all my bird books and can't find it, so I'm hoping someone here might be able to help!

Here's a picture: chicken duck

Thanks for any help an of you bird experts can provide!

- Ivy

 

[lemonzest49]

chicken ducks????

Ivy...Possibly you have a Muscovy Duck...native to Brazil...running wild in New England??!! Stranger things have happened but this is a domesticated breed in this area and yours looks like a nicely feathered one! (do you have any farms in your area missing a pair of escapees?) Kudos on your power of observation....

 

[Peakbagr]

Appears to be a young, newly fledged gull. What type, not sure with the mixed feathers.

 

[J&J]

It looks like a Muscovy. I've seen these before in barn yards. They've been domesticated. I checked my bird book and it says they are native to tropical America (Mexico to n. Argentina.) The domestic Muscovy can be white, black or patched which yours is. Apparently they are frequent escapees from captivity.

 

[darren]

It is a Muscovy Duck. I used to raise them when I was a kid. Unlike most domestic ducks, Muscovys can fly. Not too far, but they can fly. They usually return back to home though so people don't worry about them flying away too much. I bet that duck's owner is pretty close to you. But, who knows, the duck could be out on a road trip.

If you start feeding it, you will have a new pet. Pretty soon you could just walk right up and pet it. They are very friendly, but like any bird they will defend their nest. Be careful getting the eggs...

- darren

 

[poison ivy]

Thank you everyone for the id... I guess I know why he wasn't in any of my New England bird books.

No farms around me that I know of, but I live on a lake so he possibly flew over from someplace nearby. The ducks visit our yard frequently this time of year and eat the dandelions, which saves us time on yardwork.

- Ivy

 

[PhillyGeo]

A load of those things over here ...

We've got a ton of those ugly-ass things living in the Delaware canal in Yardley, PA.

They taste like chicken .... (!?)

 

[Puck]

Thank you everyone for the id... I guess I know why he wasn't in any of my New England bird books.

No farms around me that I know of, but I live on a lake so he possibly flew over from someplace nearby. The ducks visit our yard frequently this time of year and eat the dandelions, which saves us time on yardwork.

- Ivy

These birds do have coverage in Sibley's, National Geographic and Peterson's.

 

[MichaelJ]

They taste like chicken .... (!?)

According to a friend of mine:

"And tasty! Larger than the 'duckling' (Peking duck) we normally get.
They often have muscovy duck at Whole Foods."

 

[poison ivy]

"And tasty! Larger than the 'duckling' (Peking duck) we normally get.
They often have muscovy duck at Whole Foods."

No one gets to eat my chicken duck!!

- Ivy