What to feed ducks – according to science

By Ronald Jan Corbee, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University
Sara Burt, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Public Health, Utrecht University

The simple things in life sometimes bring the greatest joy – like feeding the ducks at your local pond. The next time you pay your feathered friends a visit, consider introducing some variety into the food you give them. Just like for us humans, a balanced diet is important for wild animals. The large amounts of bread that people feed wild birds may be well-intentioned, but they could be doing them harm.

Feeding wild birds means that they need to spend less time foraging, which allows them to build their strength and produce more chicks. But this could also make birds dependent on the…

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