Help keep wildlife and water quality healthy
Many people enjoy feeding ducks and other birds at local lakes, beaches, and waterfronts. While it may seem like a kind thing to do, feeding waterfowl can actually harm the birds, their habitat, and local water quality.
The good news? Ducks, geese, swans, and other waterfowl can find all the food they need from natural sources.
Poor nutrition and health
Common foods offered to birds, such as bread, crackers, and other human snacks, provide little nutritional value. Birds can fill up on these foods without getting the nutrients they need, leading to malnutrition and health problems.
Young birds are especially vulnerable, as they need nutrient-rich foods to grow and develop properly.
Increased disease and aggression
When birds gather around feeding areas, large numbers of animals crowd into a small space. This can:
- Increase the spread of disease
- Cause stress and aggression between birds
- Reduce access to healthier, natural food sources
Disrupted natural behaviours
Feeding can change how waterfowl behave by encouraging them to rely on people rather than forage naturally. It can also interfere with migration patterns, causing some birds to delay or abandon seasonal movements because food appears readily available.
Impacts on the environment - poor water quality
- Poor localized water quality from excessive fecal matter in water, making it unsafe to swim due to bacteria like E. coli and parasites like the snail larvae that cause swimmer’s itch
- Harmful algae blooms that kills off fish and native plants, and can be a serious risk to, livestock and pets
- Bank erosion by trampling and overgrazing plants
- Attracting pests like rats or insects, which can cause a health risk to people and pets