The species has been domesticated, and feral Muscovy ducks are found in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and in Central and Eastern Europe.

[3][4] Although the Muscovy duck is a tropical bird, it adapts well to cooler climates, thriving in weather as cold as −12 °C (10 °F) and able to survive even colder conditions.

Both sexes have a nude black-and-red or all-red face; the drake also has pronounced caruncles at the base of the bill and a low erectile crest of feathers.

For a while after hatching, juveniles lack the distinctive wattles associated with adult individuals, and resemble the offspring of various other ducks, such as mallards.

[10][11] "Muscovy" is an old name for the region of Russia surrounding Moscow, but these ducks are neither native there nor were introduced there before they became known in Western Europe.

It is conceivable that a term like "Muisca duck", hard to comprehend for the average European of those times, would be corrupted into something more familiar.

But his anas indica (based, like Gessner's brief discussion, ultimately on the reports of Christopher Columbus's travels) also seems to have included another species,[16] perhaps a whistling-duck (Dendrocygna).

Already however the species is tied to some more or less nondescript "exotic" locality – "Libya" could still refer to any place in Northern Africa at that time – where it did not natively occur.

[18]Linnaeus came to witness the birds' "gamey" aroma first-hand, as he attests in the Fauna Svecica and again in the travelogue of this 1746 Västergötland excursion.

[13][19] Similarly, the Russian name of this species, muskusnaya utka (Мускусная утка), means "musk duck" – without any reference to Moscow – as do the Bokmål and Danish moskusand, Dutch muskuseend, Finnish myskisorsa, French canard musqué, German Moschusente, Italian anatra muschiata, Spanish pato almizclado and Swedish myskand.

The species was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 edition of Systema Naturae as Anas moschata,[20] literally meaning "musk duck".

Analysis of the mtDNA sequences of the cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 genes,[21] however, indicates that it might be closer to the genus Aix and better placed in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae.

This non-migratory species normally inhabits forested swamps, lakes, streams and nearby grassland and farm crops,[22] and often roosts in trees at night.

The Muscovy duck has benefited from nest boxes in Mexico, but is somewhat uncommon in much of the eastern part of its range due to excessive hunting.

The sitting hen will leave the nest once a day from 20 minutes to one and a half hours, and will then defecate, drink water, eat and sometimes bathe.

Anecdotal evidence from East Anglia, U.K. suggests that, in response to different environmental conditions, other adults assist in protecting chicks and providing warmth at night.

It has been suggested that this is in response to local efforts to cull the eggs, which has led to an atypical distribution of males and females, as well as young and mature birds.

Feral Muscovy ducks can breed near urban and suburban lakes and on farms, nesting in tree cavities or on the ground, under shrubs in yards, on apartment balconies, or under roof overhangs.

Although legislation passed in the U.S. prohibiting trade of Muscovy ducks, Fish and Wildlife Services intend to revise the regulations.

[30] Muscovy ducks had been domesticated by various Native American cultures in the Americas when Columbus arrived in the Bahamas.

Muscovy breeds are popular because they have stronger-tasting meat—sometimes compared to roast beef—than the usual domestic ducks, which are descendants of the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).

The 40–60% of eggs that are fertile result in birds raised only for their meat or for production of foie gras: they grow fast like mallard-derived breeds, but to a large size like Muscovy ducks.

[33] A study examining birds in northwestern Colombia for blood parasites found the Muscovy duck to be more frequently infected with Haemoproteus and malaria (Plasmodium) parasites than chickens, domestic pigeons, domestic turkeys and, in fact, almost all wild bird species also studied.