The Forest duck is a
Belgian breed of
domestic duck
Domestic ducks (mainly mallards, ''Anas platyrhynchos domesticus'', with some Muscovy ducks, ''Cairina moschata domestica'') are ducks that have been domesticated and raised for meat and egg (food), eggs. A few are kept for show, or for thei ...
originating in the
commune of
Forest
A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...
sometime in 1890.
History
Created in Forest by Herman Bertrand, the duck was created to have good
egg and
meat
Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...
quality. When the duck came to be Bertrand decided to give it the Latin name ''Anas bertrandi'' after his own name. The duck was called by its Latin name until some time after when it was commonly referred to as the "Forest duck" after the community of Forest in which the duck was created and Bertrand lived in. After Bertrand saw the breed as complete in 1905 he launched it with 30 blue individuals at an international exhibition. These 30 ducks were blue in colour similar to
Blue Andalusians.
In 1924 the breed club which Bertrand was a part of decided to send 24 high quality Forest ducks to a show at
Crystal Palace. After this show the duck gained popularity and demand, especially by the
city council of Saint Petersburg which wanted to import 350 hatching eggs.
The duck nearly saw its demise during the
first and
second world wars in which the farmers who owned the ducks would end up slaughtering many individuals for their meat. After the second world war the duck was presumed to be extinct until a group of breeders ultimately brought its breed back to life sometime in the 1960s.
Conservation
As of 2007, the duck was classified as "critical" by the
FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition ...
, meaning it is critically endangered.
References
{{Reflist
Duck breeds originating in Belgium