Carrying Capacity on USF Campus for Muscovy Ducks

by Queen Smith

Submitted : Fall 2020

Muscovy ducks are a very common duck found in Florida. Muscovy ducks were illegally released into urban and suburban areas by individuals for ornamental reasons of as pets. These ducks are known the be very fertile and can lay up to 180 eggs a year which increase their populations dramatically. They are known as an invasive species and although some people enjoy the birds many find them as a nuisance. Muscovy ducks have also been known to transmit disease and interbreed with native species making them an undesirable species in the wild. They are also known to be very aggressive towards native species and because usually there are so many of them they do intimidate the other waterfowl causing them to be less competitive. On campus there is a large population of Muscovy ducks that is still growing. The Muscovy duck is not a loud duck, they are known to be pretty quiet which is definitely ideal for a college campus. There are many wetland locations on campus for them to use, but they tend to only be at the locations that they find suitable for living. Based off of the information provided here the carrying capacity for the next few years can be predicted. According to the current data and the data that would be calculated for the next year campus will be able to handle an increase in the Muscovy duck population. Although campus has been able to handle the Muscovy population they may need to start coming up with a management strategy to maintain a suitable duck population so there is no cause for other wildlife on campus to have to adapt to the changes.

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