The City of New Port Richey is requesting valued responses, in the form of a survey, from the citizens of New Port Richey regarding the effects of the Muscovy duck population at Orange Lake and the pond on Azalea Drive in New Port Richey.
On behalf of the City of New Port Richey (NPR), a public outreach and engagement effort including a Web Survey and US postal mail fact sheet will be conducted from June 26 through July 17 of 2023, concerning the Muscovy ducks located at Orange Lake and the pond on Azalea Drive.
You are welcome to login in to the Muscovy duck questionnaire online at a Google Web Survey the link is below:
https://forms.gle/G8jXjfpaFgzjViUe7
Muscovy ducks were originally a food animal, are native to South America, and have spread into Central America and Texas. In the 1960s, the Muscovy duck species expanded into Florida. The male Muscovy duck is considered the largest duck in North America (www.allaboutbirds.org). The species have no vocal cords, meaning they do not quack but rather hiss. Muscovy ducks are easily identified by the red warty bumps on their face.
No permit is required to possess Muscovy ducks; however, both Florida Statute 379.231 and federal regulations 50 CFR 21.25(b)(8)(i) prohibit the release of Muscovy ducks. This means they must be kept in a captive situation where they will not encounter native wildlife and will not escape captivity.
Muscovy ducks are considered to be undesirable in the wild because of their potential to transmit diseases to or interbreed with Florida’s native waterfowl. Invasive animals like the Muscovy duck have taken over habitats, and can stress the natural ecosystems, and even eradicate native plants and animals. Furthermore, Muscovy duck populations may cause excessive nutrient loading in small ponds along with undesirable and messy sidewalks and driveways.
For additional information regarding the Muscovy duck, please find the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) data sheet attached. In addition, a video link of similar information is provided on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnhs6pAuTI0.
We understand your time is valuable and appreciate your participation in this survey.
