Resumen en inglés

Introduction. The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata domestica) has the potential to contribute as an economic solution aligned with conservation and production objectives for rural families living in conditions where this species usually develops; this is the case of the municipalities of Córdoba - Colombia. Justification. The morphological characterization is one of the first steps to intensify the sustainable use of this species. Objective. The objective of this work was to carry out a morphological characterization and evaluate the sexual dimorphism of a Muscovy duck population in the rural area of three municipalities of the department of Córdoba (Colombia). Methods. This research was carried out in four farms located in San Pelayo, Canalete, and Montería. Data were obtained from 179 birds, 98 females, and 81 males that fit the morphological descriptions of the Muscovy duck. Nine phaneroptic characteristics, 18 morphometric traits and body weight were recorded. Nine zoometric indices were calculated using the quantitative morphological variables. Frequency tables of the qualitative data and descriptive statistics of the quantitative data, 95% confidence intervals and Pearson's correlations (P≤0.05) between body weight and morphometric characteristics were obtained. Sexual dimorphism was described from Student's t-test (P≤0.05), and a linear discriminant analysis between sexes was performed. The results were obtained using InfoStat® version 2020 and IBM® SPSS Statistics software. Results. It was found that the ducks studied were characterized by a diversity of colors in their plumage, with combinations of white, gray, brown, black, and iridescent black; white, yellow, black, and red skin; brown, black, and depigmented bill; black and yellow eyes, and black and red caruncles, the latter more frequently present in males. They were birds with elongated and narrow heads, with greater body length than dorsal height, elongated trunk, raised in front and with high morphostructural harmony. Males presented higher values than females in all morphological measures (P≤0.05), and indices of compactness, massiveness, and condition (P≤0.05), while females presented greater robustness and proportionality (P≤0.05). Both sexes expressed high pelvic indices without significant differences (P>0.05). The measurements with the highest discriminant power were head width, neck length, body length, longitudinal diameter, wing length, and body weight. Conclusions. The results obtained are a contribution to the information on the morphological characteristics of the Cairina moschata domestica duck in Colombia, useful for the conservation of this native genetic resource, its genetic improvement and recognition of its productive aptitudes, as they are a basic reference for future research.