Feeding the Waterfowl

The Nassau Bay Parks Committee knows that feeding ducks and geese at the Nassau Bay parks is a treat for many visitors to the parks, especially for young children. Unfortunately, bread is the dominant item that is being fed to the waterfowl.

A recent “Hints from Heloise” states, “Ducks like the taste of bread, but it is bad for them. It has zero nutritional value, and, if they fill up on bread, they won’t be hungry for good, nutritional foods. Also, bread debris in the water can lead to algae buildup."

"What are good choices to feed ducks? Lettuce, thawed raw peas, oats, birdseed, cooked rice, seedless grapes, and sweet corn - cooked or raw! Ducks in the wild eat grass, water plants, and insects. P.S. Making the ducks dependent on people feeding them is not ideal, but feeding them occasionally is OK."

Another article indicates that eating bread causes Angel Wing in waterfowl, which makes their feathers grow too quickly. This strains their muscles and can stop them from flying. Swans can develop fatal gut and heart disease. Algal bloom from rotting bread in the water allows bacteria to grow and encourages rats. Algal bloom can also get into the lungs of birds and kill them.

The Nassau Bay Parks Committee encourages visitors to our parks to follow Heloise’s advice. Also, if you feed the waterfowl, please do it in grassy areas away from the roadway and sidewalks. Birds in the roadway are subject to injury from passing cars, and birds eating on the sidewalks create messes, which pedestrians would prefer not to step into. Thanks for helping to keep our waterfowl safe!