The City of Pearland, a Houston suburb, sent out an unusual press release last week titled: “Muscovy Duck Migration – What Pearland Residents Should Know.” It was a response to the outcry from some residents over the large local duck population. But it was also a way for the city to address how some residents are taking it upon themselves to thin the flock.
Emily Foxhall of the Houston Chronicle says Muscovy ducks are considered an invasive species in most of Texas. Some Pearland residents go out of their way to feed them and set up kiddie pools as makeshift mini-ponds. Others, she says, find them to be a nuisance, going so far as killing them intentionally.
“There’s some people who have gone rogue and at least one person, the city thinks, has been shooting them with bows and arrows,” Foxhall says. “Some people say that they’ve seen them run over by cars.”
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– How to identify a Muscovy duck
– Why some residents find the ducks a nuisance
– What laws Pearland has concerning removal of ducks from private property
Written by Caroline Covington.
