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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Any ideas please? (1 Viewer)

derekh42

Active member
Hello,

This is one of about six birds seen on the River Kennett at Newbury, Berks. They seem to live around there. I cannot find it in any of my UK or European books. Can anyone ID it for me

Derek
 

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They escape from poultry farms all too often.

Native to South America. The wild ones there don't have all those white patches on the neck & body, nor such grotesque faces - that's bred in by the farmers to make them look ugly

Michael
 
Hi Michael,
the male wild muscovies I have seen in zoo had similar facial warts like domestic ones , but the skin in the face was black, not red. Therefore, allthough the face structure was similar, it was less obvious.

So I am not so sure if wild muscovies really don´t have this ? Or the birds may not have been pure wild birds?
 
Hi Joern,

From pics I've looked at, the wild birds do have a little bit of bare skin wattles around the beak, but a lot less than on domestic ones, and less grossly convoluted and warty

Michael
 
Michael Frankis said:
such grotesque faces - that's bred in by the farmers to make them look ugly

"To make them look ugly" you say! 3:)

Well, to the wild ones: I've seen loads in the wild (in South America), and, as already mentioned, their wattles are far less grotesque and generally blackish of colour. Males (and a few females) usually show a little bit of red among the black, but nothing like the individual on the photo. The white is also limited to the wings in wild individuals. Females tend to show less white in the wing and can sometimes appear all black when resting. Also, males appear more "crested".

So called "wild Muscovy Duck's" in captivity (like zoo's) are often nothing but domestic's that have been "bred back" to look somewhat like the wild form. Even in the Amazon individuals rather similar to the one on the photo are sometimes seen as many locals ("indians") also keep the domestic form.

For pic's of wild ones:

http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/muscovy duck.html
 
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Hi Rasmus,

Rasmus Boegh said:
"To make them look ugly" you say! 3:)
Seriously! - I think farmers deliberately, if subconciously, select for ugly animals, so that they do not become so emotionally attached to them when it is time to kill them for the pot. The less sweet and endearing they look, the easier this is to do

Michael
 
Jacamar,

Wild individuals show large white wing patches in flight. Most of this is either very hard or impossible to see when the bird is standing/swimming/sitting. Have a look at the flying bird on the URL I supplied in my earlier thread on this subject.
 
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