Save those bread pieces and crumbs for cooking, not for feeding the birds, a Canadian wildlife organization warns.
Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre reminded the public in a news release Monday not to feed ducks and geese ‘junk food’, as they become reliant on those foods and lose the ability to forage healthy food.
“When ducks and geese fill up on bread or crackers it prevents them from getting all the nutrients they need to be healthy and happy birds,” the release said. “Baby birds are more likely to end up malnourished due to not receiving the plant nutrients they need to grow properly.”
Birds that eat too much bread can end up with a condition called “Angel Wing” that causes a deformity in the wings due to lack of nutrition. Without proper wing growth, the bird cannot fly.
“The bread that the birds don’t eat is also dangerous to their environment. It can grow mold causing them to become sick, assists with the growth of algae, and attracts mice and rats that spread diseases.”
Other foods that should not be given to ducks and geese include chips, nuts, chocolate, popcorn and crackers.
Instead, the PWRC suggests cracked corn, bird seed, corn, peas, wheat, barley, or sprouts.
