"Please don't feed the Ducks"
Throwing bread crumbs to ducks is one of the pleasures of a visit to the park all over the world.
That's understandable, but please consider the impact this has.
Bread is an unnatural diet for ducks. The guts of a duck are designed to eat aquatic plants, small crustaceans, mollusc and aquatic insects.
Like us, ducks need a variety of food for good health.
Feeding ducks also attracts other species to an area that wouldn't normally visit the same habitat.
Unlike ducks, pests can also leave an awful mess behind, perhaps upon the park bench you would like to sit.
Rotting food scraps and build-up of faecal matter, settles on the bed of water and rots, causing levels of bacteria to rise.
This causes botulism, an anaerobic bug created in stagnant pools of water over summer periods, flushed into larger water ways when heavy rain falls.
Botulism is a progressive disease and is often fatal, first causing partial paralysis (paresis), total paralysis then death to ducks.
Birds aren't bird brained, if they know where a free feed is they take it.
Some people say they only give ducks a little bit of bread - do you think you are the only one?
Dedicating my day to the environment on Blog Action Day
Please join us!
United Friends
21 comments:
Have a good *QUACK*! while I sleep everyone! I'm going to bed for shut-eye and a bright-eyed start to a big day flying around with those united for the environment!
Fantastic! Bravo!! I might take your lead on this one, Anon ... I like blog action day, especially when it's "for the birds." :)
Thank you for the informative post on feeding the ducks. This is an excellent point, that people need to understand.
A great series of photos with information that might be surprising to a lot of people including me!
I knew that!!!! Personally, I prefer my ducks well fed with all natural things.... And a bit of salt! MWHIEWMWHIEWMWHIEW
A park keeper once told me to at least feed them only wholemeal bread.
Your message is very strong and well illustrated.
Let me know if you have posted a 'Blog Action Day' post Melissa, and I'll visit along with the other over fourteen thousand! Heehee!!
By knowing about 'Not Feeding the Ducks' is a simple way everyone all over the world can help our environment Red Mojo :)
Thank you Modroom - SURPRISE! :)
I know who told you that Mademoiselle Princesse ];-} SCAT CAT!!
ElizT, next time a park ranger tells you wholemeal bread is better for ducks, tell them ANY bread 'fills ducks up'; swelling with a drink of water and giving them a false sense of being 'full'. Thanks :)
Onya Anon! Good for you telling it like it is - and great photos too!
Thanks Lavender! The core team of organisers for Blog Action Day are Aussies :)
between you and melissa, i am might as well have my own feathers. oh, maybe i already do. oh no, that was for an exotic dance. or is it that i am a bird-like kindred soul???
hmmmmm.
educational, informative, and classy post here, anon.
Birds of a feather flock together KJ! *doing an exotic dance* I hope your feathered boa isn't made from REAL duck feathers KJ! HAHA ... thanks :)
What a beautiful post. Thank you. Ducks are pretty. Worse than bread, some people dump oil and grease where ducks wade. Grrr!
Oil and grease is bad Ces. Bread is something everyone can relate to ... how many have a memory of throwing bread to ducks when a child - or having the same fun with their own children?
The sign in the duck pond at the medical center says "Do not feed the ducks" and the people still feed them until a park attendant admonishes them. I think because bread is edible that ducks would be fine with that. They figure that bread is better than the bugs. I have to confess Anon that when I was a child we had pet ducks and they ate bananas with us. Are bananas bad?
People don't know the reason why it's bad to feed ducks in parks; signs won't work without an explanation.
Were your pet ducks for eating or loving Ces? Pets in an area where they don't fly free is different - you have to feed pets! Table scraps such as veges like brocolli, chopped carrot, sprouts, corn kernals or fruit like chopped apple, banana or grapes are good. Cooked pasta or rice is also acceptable for pet ducks.
However, in an open water system like a park 'Please don't feed the ducks'
:)
The ducks were for loving Anon. They were burried when they died.
I'm sure they were buried after a lovely lifetime eating lots of bananas Ces :)
Botulism is a very slow process that creeps into waterways, and no one knew about it when we were kids ...
...I haven't fed ducks in years. We used to take the kids to a big lake with ducks and geese. We would take kernel corn, we were bad and didn't even know it. Regular innocents we were:)))
Great to see you again LDahl! We've all been 'innocents' of the same crime, which is why I chose this topic for Blog Action Day - something that can make a difference once you know. Maybe, spoil a happy family's day at the park and make their toddler cry HAHHA :)
This is one of the best blog action day posts I've read! It makes me feel annoyed with myself for having posted about feeding seagulls recently as there are so many problems when it comes to feeding birds, whether it's because of diet or pest control issues. I'm consoling myself with the thought that black headed gulls eat trash every day...
Bird, thank you again! I know what you mean about feeling bad and how we tell ourselves they'll find someone elses's garbage to eat anyway. We have backyard birds who steal the food from your hands and plate - so why not throw a bit way over there so I can eat my lunch!? HAHA! It's a very difficult problem, but not feeding ducks and knowing why is a good start!
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