Muscovy ducks, a duck only its mother could love, I always said. But I never stopped to think that momma Muscovy doesn’t have to overcome the sight of those big ol’ red knobs on her babies’ heads. The ...

RIVERVIEW, Fla. — For Kayla Toole, it was love at first cuddle. “I knew the second I picked up those first two ducklings that I was a duck person,” she said with a smile. Toole now owns eight ducks.

Muscovy ducks make you want to squeeze your eyes shut and wish you hadn’t seen one. In Florida, they are exotic invaders from points south. About 20 or 30 years ago, they were hunted, killed and ...

For a half century they’ve spread their wings — and waste — across South Florida’s backyards and swimming pools. They’re ugly and ungainly, and just the mention of their name can engender delight or ...