The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) was originally a wild bird from Central / South America and it is the only domesticated duck that is not derived from the Mallard. Muscovy is an old name for the region of Russia surrounding Moscow, but these ducks are neither native there nor were they introduced there before they became known in Western Europe. It is not quite clear how the term came about. The duck is brownish-black with iridescent green and purple dorsal plumage and white wing patches. Males and females are similar in appearance, but males are nearly twice as large as females. Males also have a patch of bare black skin surrounded by pinkish-red caruncles (fleshy outgrowths) which extends from the back of the eye to the bill.
