PAWS Academy: What Not to Do at a Pond: Feed the Ducks!
August 4, 2020
Written by Madi Cook, PAWS Education Intern
While the act of feeding wildlife is meant with good intention, feeding wildlife can harm them and the environment. This week’s PAWS Academy episode explores how feeding Mallard Ducks is detrimental.
Mallard Ducks
Common in North America, Europe and Asia, Mallard Ducks use ponds, parks, lakes, wetlands and estuaries as habitat. They also use land near the water to nest on which are hidden by vegetation, like overhanging grass. Mallard Ducks are omnivores eating a wide variety of food including seeds, aquatic vegetation, earthworms, snails and freshwater shrimp.
Dangers of Feeding Waterfowl
Mallard Ducks are part of a group of birds called waterfowl which inhabit every continent except Antarctica. Swans and geese are also considered waterfowl. Feeding waterfowl can lead to many issues and overall disturbs the natural behavior of the species.
Overcrowding is one reason to not feed wild animals. When humans feed animals like ducks, more will be attracted to the area because it is an easy way to get food. Eventually this can lead to the area becoming overpopulated with that specific species which disrupts the balance of the local floral and fauna.
Another reason to avoid feeding wild animals is that much of human food is unnatural and dangerous to them. If a wild animal is fed the wrong food, it can cause the animal to be malnourished, because they are not eating the nutrient rich foods from their habitat that they are supposed to. Malnutrition happens when someone does not have enough to eat, is not eating enough of the right thing, or is unable to eat the food they are supposed to eat.
In ducks, malnutrition can impact their ability to develop, migrate to find food in the winter, reproduce or grow feathers. Angel wing is one way malnutrition can manifest in birds, where a bird’s wings are permanently damaged if fed the wrong diet while they are growing. Bread and crackers are common foods given to Mallards, but they cannot be processed by the duck. These foods can also cause obstructions in the ducks’ throats, where the bread or crackers become stuck, which can restrict the animal from breathing and eating and in the worst cases lead to death.
What to Do Instead of Feeding Wildlife
If you want to show how much you care about wildlife, there are many other things you can do to support them. For specific tips, watch the third episode of the wildlife series Get to Know Your Wild Neighbors by clicking here.
This Week’s Activities
Visit paws.org/PAWSAcademy and you will find two sets of activities at different difficulty levels along with a word search and coloring sheet all about this week’s topic! Test your knowledge on the dangers of feeding wildlife and explore your local area by completing this week’s activities.
Continue to Learn With Us!
If you missed last week’s episode on the PAWS Wildlife Center or are unaware of our pet series, you can learn more at paws.org/PAWSAcademy. Check back next Wednesday to learn more about the issues facing wildlife as we will address cats in the seventh episode of PAWS Academy wildlife series. Thank you for continuing to learn how you can make a difference in animals’ lives!
If you have any questions or suggestions you can reach us at education@paws.org.