Hello everyone, what a great site, so glad I found you all!
I'm hoping I can get some help and info regarding a new neighbor in my Michigan suburb, a Muscovy duck. My avatar is a picture of this friendly guy/girl (?) and the other picture is him on my neighbors roof in the evening.
Late this Spring, the Muscovy began visiting our little dead end street in the suburb of Livonia, MI. He or she walks up and down the block, eating insects and grass. He's very friendly, likes to hang out with the children playing, and has chosen a few yards to mainly hang out in. We have been leaving him bowls of water and feeding him bread and veggies. He disappears in the late afternoon, then returns to our street via flying overhead through my backyard to my neighbors front yard across the street from me. He seems to have a very strict schedule and you can almost set your clock to his travels. At dusk he fly's up onto my next door neighbors roof and perches there. This peak is next to my patio table and he makes the tiny chirping noise as if he's trying to talk to us as we sit out back. Just before it's dark, he was flying to my backyard neighbors garage and roosting in his unused garage chimney (which I was very concerned he would get stuck. The last few days however he has abandoned the chimney and has been roosting on my neighbors roof next to my patio all night.
He's very friendly, he's even walked up to my back door if I'm late with his water dish. He has webbing missing from one foot. He can fly, at least short distances, from roof to roof. Also, very close to my neighborhood is the Rouge River and longest running park by miles (Hines Park) with many small bodies of water and plenty of wildlife and fowl.
Here are my questions and concerns:
Since he can fly, is this a female? Do females lay eggs in the summer and could she have eggs without a mate? If her nest was in the chimney, is there a possibility of eggs in there?
Do you think we should buy feed for him/her? Or can he survive solely on insects, grass, and scraps we feed him?
Regarding the upcoming harsh winters of MI, can he survive? Should I build him an insulated (hay or something) perch to roost in or will he migrate as the other ducks in our area do to southern climes?
Lastly, where might he have come from and why is he/she alone? I feel bad that he has no partner, lol!
I know this is a lot of questions, but I've been rereading the same info on the Muscovy and haven't run across anything like this in the northern states, other breeding them for food.
Thanks ahead of time for any information, help, or input on our little mascot!
Ronnie
I'm hoping I can get some help and info regarding a new neighbor in my Michigan suburb, a Muscovy duck. My avatar is a picture of this friendly guy/girl (?) and the other picture is him on my neighbors roof in the evening.
Late this Spring, the Muscovy began visiting our little dead end street in the suburb of Livonia, MI. He or she walks up and down the block, eating insects and grass. He's very friendly, likes to hang out with the children playing, and has chosen a few yards to mainly hang out in. We have been leaving him bowls of water and feeding him bread and veggies. He disappears in the late afternoon, then returns to our street via flying overhead through my backyard to my neighbors front yard across the street from me. He seems to have a very strict schedule and you can almost set your clock to his travels. At dusk he fly's up onto my next door neighbors roof and perches there. This peak is next to my patio table and he makes the tiny chirping noise as if he's trying to talk to us as we sit out back. Just before it's dark, he was flying to my backyard neighbors garage and roosting in his unused garage chimney (which I was very concerned he would get stuck. The last few days however he has abandoned the chimney and has been roosting on my neighbors roof next to my patio all night.
He's very friendly, he's even walked up to my back door if I'm late with his water dish. He has webbing missing from one foot. He can fly, at least short distances, from roof to roof. Also, very close to my neighborhood is the Rouge River and longest running park by miles (Hines Park) with many small bodies of water and plenty of wildlife and fowl.
Here are my questions and concerns:
Since he can fly, is this a female? Do females lay eggs in the summer and could she have eggs without a mate? If her nest was in the chimney, is there a possibility of eggs in there?
Do you think we should buy feed for him/her? Or can he survive solely on insects, grass, and scraps we feed him?
Regarding the upcoming harsh winters of MI, can he survive? Should I build him an insulated (hay or something) perch to roost in or will he migrate as the other ducks in our area do to southern climes?
Lastly, where might he have come from and why is he/she alone? I feel bad that he has no partner, lol!
I know this is a lot of questions, but I've been rereading the same info on the Muscovy and haven't run across anything like this in the northern states, other breeding them for food.
Thanks ahead of time for any information, help, or input on our little mascot!
Ronnie
