Editing Muscovy duck (section)

==Taxonomy and systematics==
[[File:Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) male (48300537941).jpg|right|thumb|Male, showing upperwing pattern; Transpantaneira, Poconé, Mato Grosso, Brazil]]
The species was first scientifically described by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in his 1758 edition of ''[[Systema Naturae]]'' as ''Anas moschata'',<ref name=Linnaeus1758/> literally meaning "[[musk]] duck". It was later transferred to the genus ''Cairina'', making its current binomial name ''Cairina moschata''. It is the only species in its genus; one other species formerly included, the [[white-winged duck]], has now been transferred to its own genus, as ''Asarcornis scutulata''.<ref name="IOC">{{cite web | title=Screamers, ducks, geese, swans – IOC World Bird List | website=IOC World Bird List – Version 14.2 | date=2025-02-20 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/waterfowl/ | access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref>

The Muscovy duck was formerly placed into the [[paraphyletic]] "[[perching duck]]" assemblage, but subsequently moved to the [[dabbling duck]] [[subfamily]] Anatinae. Analysis of the [[mtDNA]] [[DNA sequence|sequence]]s of the [[cytochrome b|cytochrome ''b'']] and [[NADH dehydrogenase]] [[Protein subunit|subunit]] 2 [[gene]]s,{{sfn|Johnson|Sorenson|1999}} however, indicates that it might be closer to the genus ''[[Aix (genus)|Aix]]'' and better placed in the [[Tadorna|shelduck]] subfamily [[Tadorninae]].

The Muscovy duck is monotypic, with no subspecies;<ref name="IOC"/> domesticated birds are commonly, but not validly, cited as a "subspecies ''domestica''", though this has no taxonomic standing.