Are these Muscovy ducks? Age & gender?

This couple have been in our local pond for a couple of months now. Keep to themselves and don't seem to join in with Canada geese.

They seem to be a kind of Muscovy.

I'd be grateful for confirmation and if you can provide any more details on which exact kind, ages and genders? 

How rare are they to be knocking around Salford. Manchester?

  • Hi Terry, as you surmised these are feral Muscovy Ducks. The domesticated variety, which these are, can vary quite a bit in appearance and look substantially different from the wild birds which are native to Central and South America.

    I would guess that the nearly white one is the female with the male following behind. They look like adults but wouldn't hazard a guess about their age.

    We've had reports on this forum of sightings from all around the country generally from local lakes and ponds so they are not all that uncommon.

  • I saw a few of these in Shrewsbury a few months ago. Very different colourings but the same beak colour/mottling. I think that they are reasonably common as they seem quite hardy