The Muscovy duck, a ubiquitous water fowl in South Florida and a common sight throughout South Florida neighborhoods, is not a Florida native. While they have been in the area for over 100 years, they were originally imported from South America for their breast meat, which is more abundant than that of wild or other domestic ducks, and if you Google “Muscovy duck,” you will likely find more than a few recipes.
Muscovy ducks have been blamed for spreading disease to humans through their droppings, in addition to being unsightly. According to the Lee County Florida Health Department, “Muscovies are protected by Florida Statute 828.12 regarding animal cruelty. However, because these birds originated in Florida from domestic stock, they are not considered ‘wildlife.’ Therefore, they are not protected by state wildlife laws nor laws set forth by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.” The health department also states, “State law prohibits the relocation of such ducks into native wildlife areas as they may be carriers of diseases which can adversely affect native water fowl.”
As you might imagine, Muscovy ducks are extremely prolific and 15 ducklings from one sitting is not uncommon. If left uncontrolled, local populations can grow exponentially and compete with native water fowl for food. Our campus has proven to be an extremely desirable location for the Muscovy ducks to proliferate, due to the lack of predators, abundant water in the form of canals and ponds and plenty of food. Muscovy ducks feed on the roots, stems, leaves and seeds of aquatic and terrestrial plants, including agricultural crops. They also eat small fish, reptiles, crustaceans, insects, millipedes and termites. These large ducks are often aggressive, especially when accustomed to being fed, and may chase adults looking for food and chase or attempt to bite children.
Feeding Muscovy ducks is not healthy for the ducks in the long run, as they become dependent on people for food. The best food for ducks is what they eat naturally, which is abundant in our subtropical climate. Humans most often feed them bread and similar items. These have no nutritional value for the duck. Additionally, feeding by humans makes the ducks reliant on such hand-outs and too lazy to continue foraging for their natural dietary items.
Giving them food also draws them to outdoor dining areas and encourages them to hang around and use the areas as their bathroom, leaving droppings on patios, sidewalks, furniture and adjacent landscape. This requires more frequent pressure washing and sanitizing and increases maintenance costs.
So, in summary, if you frequent any of NSU’s outside dining areas and want them to remain safe, clean and aesthetically pleasing, please don’t feed the ducks.
Al Smith
Director, Physical Plant Department
