article thumbnail

Counting Feral Muscovy Ducks in Florida

10,000 Birds

I wasn’t having any luck at all though I was enjoying the typical assortment of wetland species that make we New York birders a bit jealous of our southern compatriots. The birds in Florida, on the other hand, are of domestic stock gone feral. feral Muscovy Duck at Blue Heron Wetlands, Titusville, Florida.

Feral 181
article thumbnail

Are You Going to the 2015 Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival?

10,000 Birds

Florida is a great place to bird in January because in addition to the year-round species there are a host of birds that winter in the relatively balmy climate that Florida has in winter. Ditto for the feral Muscovy Ducks , though they are a bit less nice. Get my Florida list to 180 species. Find at least one life bird.

2015 201
article thumbnail

The Domestic Turkey and the First Thanksgiving

10,000 Birds

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.

Turkey 206