That innocent loaf of bread could be harming your local ducks. Here’s why it’s time to ditch the bread and what to do instead.
Ah, feeding the ducks. It’s one of those classic childhood memories – a sunny day at the park, a loaf of bread in hand, and a bunch of eager beaks waddling your way.
But what if we told you that this well-loved pastime is actually doing more harm than good?
You might know that feeding bread to ducks isn’t good for them, but the truth is any food we feed them, even things like, oats or corn, is not going to be positive for them or our environment.
Here’s why we should stop feeding our quacking friends – and other ways you can connect with nature instead:
1. Makes them sick
Have you ever binged out on junk food and then felt really sick? Us too. Ducks can do something pretty similar.
When they eat food that’s not meant for them, like bread or oats, their stomachs aren’t used to it, so they can get really unwell.
You know how when we eat processed food, we can feel slow and a bit sluggish, and if we keep doing it, it’s going to affect our health?
Well, it’s really the same for ducks. Ducks in their natural state don’t typically whip up a bowl of oats for breakfast or a slice of bread for a snack, so even though it seems healthy for you to eat, it’s not healthy for a wild animal who usually eat grasses and insects.
If they continue to eat things outside of their normal diet, it’s going to have a negative impact on their health. And it can also lead to wing and beak deformities, which in some cases can impact their ability to fly and find food.
2. Leads to too many ducks
I know we all like ducks, but the saying of too much of a good thing really is true here!
Feeding ducks encourages other ducks to visit, in the hope that they might get a treat too. But too many ducks in one area causes all sorts of problems.
Water quality significantly drops when too many ducks come to one area, because as blunt as it sounds, they create too much poo!
This can result in generally bad water quality or outbreaks of harmful bacteria such as E-coli. It can also lead to blue-green algae blooms due to increased nutrients in the water from their poo.
Too many ducks equal too much competition. If there’s too many ducks in one space, some are going to lose out on food and unfortunately, it’s usually the smaller native duck that is the biggest loser.
Larger introduced species tend to be more aggressive, so having an area where they are the dominant duck is contributing to the decline of our native duck friends.
3. Makes ducks more reliant on people
If we feed ducks, there’s a possibility they become too reliant on us and stop searching for their own food.
To them it’s the equivalent of us having Uber Eats delivered – why would you cook yourself when it’s so easy and tasty to have it brought straight to you?
Ducks are clever little creatures. Left to their own devices, they’ll forage for insects, plants and other natural goodies that keep them healthy and happy. When we feed them, we interrupt that natural behaviour and over time, they can lose the skills they need to survive.
So now what?
Ok, so now you know why feeding the ducks is not good, but you might be thinking to yourself, ‘but I like doing it!’.
We get it, we really do! Feeding the ducks has been a popular pastime for a long time, but it’s really something that we must leave in the past!
Don’t worry, you can still enjoy the ducks without feeding them. We suggest going to your local park and sitting and watching them and their personalities. It is a great way to relax and connect with nature.
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