SAN ANTONIO — As a kid most of us loved feeding wild animals because it gave us a chance to get up close and personal with them. In tonight's Verify we look into one very popular waterfowl that gets a lot of attention. Ducks! We see them everywhere. Ponds. Zoos. Lakes. Even crossing the road. And they love food!
THE QUESTION
Is it true that feeding a duck bread could be harmful to their health?
THE SOURCES
- Joseph San Miguel, Director of Agriculture for the San Antonio Zoo
- Texas Parks and Wildlife
THE ANSWER
TRUE
WHAT WE FOUND
Here's what San Miguel had to say. He told us, "It's just not the thing you want to be feeding a duck all the time. It's not the staple of their diet. Shouldn't be."
San Miguel also said feeding a duck will sustain them for a period of time, but it should never be the primary source of their diet. He says at the Zoo their ducks are fed a special diet on a regular basis. San Miguel added, "They're called extruded diets and it's like dog food and it's formulated for waterfowl. So it has all of our valuable nutrients and vitamins and proteins and things that they need."
In an educational video Texas Parks and Wildlife said, "In a natural setting, ducks feed on seeds, aquatic plants and invertebrates such as snails and insects. People generally feed bread, popcorn and chips which lack nutritional value and are a poor substitute for a duck's diet."
So yes, it is true. Feeding ducks bread can be harmful to their health.
San Miguel also told us if you're out with your kids, whether it is going to a park or going to the zoo that feeding the ducks is a fun thing, the birds love it and it attracts them to you. It just isn't the healthiest option, and a well balanced diet, like for humans, is always the best option.