60 CAIRINA MOSCHATA 



GENERAL HABITS 



The best account of the Muscovy in the wild state is given by F. P. and A. P. Pen- 

 ard, " De Vogels van Guyana " (1908-10), and is in part as follows: They are met with 

 on the seacoast as well as on inland waters. In the dry seasons the species is found in 

 the mangrove regions in flocks of fifty and more, though usually in much smaller num- 

 bers. In the low regions along the coast flocks are much larger than at higher al- 

 titudes, where more than eight or ten are rare, and where they are often found alone 

 or in pairs. The flock follows a leader when walking, but at the approach of danger 

 the individuals scatter in all directions. During the noonday heat they retire into 

 the thick rushes along the shores. They spend the night on high trees. If approached, 

 they fly to the ground and wait with outstretched necks till the danger is past, but 

 if the danger continues they fly off with a powerful, flapping flight. During the 

 breeding season the males fight violently, trj'ing to abduct each other's mates. 

 Many birds are shot by tying a female to a peg and then scaring up the ducks from 

 the surrounding country. The males are noticeably more numerous than the females, 

 and fight with one another for the decoy female; and sometimes fifty drakes can 

 be killed in one day by this device. At times a dozen decoy birds are used in locali- 

 ties where the species is numerous. 



Muscovies, these authors continue, are extremely shy before the breeding season, 

 but are taken by good gunners partly because they always fly low. They have 

 rapidly diminished in numbers in recent years. On the plantations, they say, inter- 

 breeding must take place, because in the wild state one finds specimens showing 

 partial albinism. In places where there are no tame birds albinism is not found. 



Pomeroy (London Field, July 6, 1918) in writing of Colombia speaks of them as 

 being much persecuted there by the natives and of resorting to high trees both at 

 night and during the heat of the day. 



The favorite habitat of the Muscovy is the region of forested swamps along the 

 banks of streams and large rivers, where they lead a rather secluded life in small 

 companies. 



Wariness; Daily Movements. Apparently the species is rarely met with far 

 from wooded country except in the wet season when open savannas are flooded. As 

 the dry season advances, they are driven more and more to the wooded banks of 

 streams (Cherrie, 1916). They seem to be well able to take care of themselves, as 

 nearly all writers mention their wary disposition and the inaccessibility of their 

 haunts. Nutting (1882) speaks of them as the shyest and most difficult to approach 

 of all Costa Rican birds. They pass the night in high trees often resorting to the 

 same tree night after night; sometimes, according to Hagmann (1907), dozens roost 

 together in the same tree. A favorite roost in Brazil is the smooth horizontal branch 



