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Eunice Sivertsen, founder of Duck Haven. {courtesy}

Muscovy ducks, that invasive species of birds most people don’t welcome on their lawns, sidewalks, and streets, just lost their greatest advocate.

Margate resident Eunice Sivertsen, founder of Duck Haven, a not-for-profit sanctuary for injured and maimed ducks, operated out of her own home, passed away after a short illness on Tuesday morning, said her granddaughter, Melissa (Missy) Santarcangelo, who lived with her. Sivertsen was 88.

Funeral services for Sivertsen will be held Saturday, Dec. 13, at 11:00 a.m. at Plantation Community Church, 6501 W. Broward Blvd.

Duck Haven was Florida’s only humane rescue organization dedicated to Muscovy ducks; that species is most prevalent here in South Florida, with its prominent red, fleshy facial growths. Sivertsen had told Margate Talk in a 2024 interview that the idea of going on a duck rescue mission first occurred to her in the 1970s when she moved to South Florida from her native New York. She spotted a neighbor across a lake attacking Muscovy ducks with a broom, injuring one of them. She scolded the man, and then she and her late husband took it to a wildlife center for treatment.

Santarcangelo says first and foremost, she will miss having her grandma around so they can talk.

“She’s been my best friend since I was a baby,” she said, recalling some of her fun memories with Sivertsen.

According to her granddaughter, her grandmother would occasionally come and clandestinely sign her out of school early. “We’d go shopping or out to lunch,” said Santarcangelo. “She was my partner in crime.”

As for Duck Haven’s future, it remains up in the air. “Right now, we have about 40 ducks back there,” Santarcangelo said, “but we don’t know if it’ll stay open.” She’s not sure what they’re going to do with the ducks already there.

About her late grandma’s devotion to her ducks, she added, “She was a sweet lady who saved a lot of lives. No one cared about them the way she did.”

Sivertsen founded Duck Haven in 1979 while living in Sunrise. She moved it to her modest Margate home when she relocated in 1980. Her house is located on a quiet residential street. From the outside, one would not know that inside the home and enclosed yard, many ducks and other waterfowl reside safely from human and animal predation.

Sadly, it is legal to humanely kill or trap Muscovy ducks in South Florida because of their non-native status. Federal law does prohibit these animals from being killed in parts of Texas where they are a native species.

Caroline Bowen, a volunteer at Duck Haven, played a unique role in assisting Sivertsen. She became her driver, transporting sick and injured animals to the veterinarian. She said that particular role fit better with her schedule than actually caring for the ducks in Sivertsen’s sanctuary. “I was the ‘duck Uber,’” Bowen said.

Bowen said she first became acquainted with Duck Haven about 10 years ago when she encountered an injured Muscovy duck. She took it to a wildlife center for treatment, but because of its invasive species status down here, treatment was refused. Instead, they referred her to Sivertsen. They had become close ever since.

“She had such a good soul,” said Bowen, a Coral Springs resident. “Her dedication to the Muscovy duck was phenomenal. No one else would take them. It’s heartbreaking that she’s gone. Her loss will be felt within the wildlife community.”

A GoFundMe link has been set up for donations to Duck Haven.

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Martin Lenkowsky

Martin Lenkowsky moved to Coral Springs from NYC in 1982. He has a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College. He has been both writer and editor for a number of South Florida publications since 1983. He considers features writing his specialty.