Why ducks and other waterfowl love living near us—and why we should never feed them.
Depending on the weather and how far south in the Blue Ridge you live, you might be seeing a wintertime influx of migrating ducks, Canada geese and other waterfowl right about now. And if they get all the food they need, including treats from humans, says Lynsey White, director of humane wildlife conflict resolution at The Humane Society of the United States, they might not want to leave, which isn’t necessarily a good thing for them, or for us.
Although some waterfowl populations have been trending down in recent years, most of them, including mallards, wood ducks and non-native Muscovys found in the Appalachian states, are healthy, White says. Some residents introduce them into ponds and parks, where the birds sometimes mate with their wild counterparts.
“I think the increases that people see or perceive in their neighborhoods or in certain parks or other areas,” White says, “is because they’re congregating in places where people feed them or where the conditions are good for other reasons.”
And about that habit of feeding them, White adds: Don’t do it.
“So many people like feeding ducks and geese, and I understand that,” she says. “They’re one of the few animals in our urban areas that you can get close to, that you can feed, and people like to have that interaction and show that interaction to their kids. It is not only harmful to waterfowl, but it also causes them to congregate in these areas and it can make them aggressive towards people. So stopping feeding is the most important way to help decrease conflict.”
It may also save the animals’ lives. If a duck eats a diet rich in bread or other human food, it’s probably not getting the necessary calcium it would normally get from plants and insects. This can lead to metabolic bone disease, which softens bones and causes joints to become malformed. A lack of the right nutrients can also result in angel wing, a condition in which the wings don’t fully form and leaves the bird unable to fly.
“And that’s really problematic because then they’re not able, in the wintertime especially, to move from pond to pond in search of food,” White says. “It can become really hard for them to get the food that they need unless they fly.”
One of the reasons waterfowl, especially Canada geese, adapt so well to urban areas, White points out, is that “they love freshly-mowed, fertilized, large expanses of grass. So cemeteries, golf courses, ballparks, public parks and most backyards are actually great places for them to eat and to mill about.” They also prefer bodies of water next to short grass, including those commonly found in well-manicured lakeside communities, which allow them to spot predators while perched on their nests.
Granted, ducks, geese and other water birds can pose problems by bombarding a site with droppings or becoming combative over their turf. Repellants sprayed on the grass may help, along with letting the vegetation grow taller. If these methods don’t work, certified goose dogs can humanely chase the culprits away, and egg addling programs will decrease the number of goslings that hatch.
Despite the challenges, urban waterfowl can play a beneficial role by eating snails, slugs and invasive aquatic plants and, says White, “just being able to see them in the environment. My kids think it’s enjoyable, and a lot of people think it’s enjoyable to go to a park and see ducks and geese. And you can see their young at a certain time.”
The story above first appeared in our January / February 2024 issue. For more like it subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!