What happened to this duck?

[Tesumph]

Look at the other pics my Muscovy has never molted out his feathers in a straight line an all at one time

I think every bird is different.
It’s not ideal that they molt all of their flight feathers at once, as it leaves them flightless of course, but it happens.

 

[blackandtan]

Looks like normal molting to me.

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Yes exactly! That’s just how wild ducks do it, I think we just don’t see it in domestics

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are not wild Muscovy drakes they are feral. I’ve had Muscovy since 2004 never seen that.

 

[blackandtan]

I think every bird is different.
It’s not ideal that they molt all of their flight feathers at once, as it leaves them flightless of course, but it happens.

Yes but that’s why they are supposed to Molt all at once, male and female should properly do it in the spring because the hen should be on the nest or with chicks anyway, and having all the males flightless at the same time gives predators more to choose from so more chicks survive. But like broodiness in chickens, the full Molt has been bred out over time.

 

[Tesumph]

Yes but that’s why they are supposed to Molt all at once, male and female should properly do it in the spring because the hen should be on the nest or with chicks anyway, and having all the males flightless at the same time gives predators more to choose from so more chicks survive. But like broodiness in chickens, the full Molt has been bred out over time.

Interesting! Is this particularly unique to waterfowl? Or ground nesters in general?

I was under the impression that slower molts were more “natural,” just from my understanding of how songbirds molt.

 

[blackandtan]

I believe it’s just waterfowl, because they also don’t need to fly to eat but songbirds do.
Ps: not sure why my iPhone keeps capitalizing Molt . Did it again.

 

[Tesumph]

I believe it’s just waterfowl, because they also don’t need to fly to eat but songbirds do.
Ps: not sure why my iPhone keeps capitalizing Molt . Did it again.

You learn something new every day!

 

[chris330r]

I feel much better after reading these last few posts. I find it odd that all the males would molt all at the same time like this, but it also makes sense that nature would do it like that in order to help chicks survive easier by making the adult males more susceptible to predators.
I like that much more than thinking that some evil human is prowling for them with shears.

 

[Anime2lover]

You mean trying to take them as their own? For what purpose? They're all the same family of ducks that have been out there for 2 years now and living all around the pond. Sometimes they stray far off to the park and I won't see them for a few days.
I can't imagine someone wanting to scoop them up and take them for their personal pets. Unless it's more sinister and they want to eat them?!
Now I just saw a third one out there with the same clippings. And these are only being done to the males. The females are all untouched. It's a real head scratcher for sure.

It is for sure. But in my opinion it shouldnt be done.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I believe it’s just waterfowl, because they also don’t need to fly to eat but songbirds do.
Ps: not sure why my iPhone keeps capitalizing Molt . Did it again.

Any info to back this up?