Why feeding the ducks is a fowl idea for them and people

Let’s face it, the ducks are adorable. Watching a line of fluffy ducklings waddling behind their mother along the shoreline can make anyone want to get closer. It’s tempting to toss them some stale bread or even the last bit of your ice cream cone just to see them paddle over. But before you do, ask yourself: Is this really helping the ducks, or the lake?

According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, one of the biggest drivers of waterfowl overpopulation is human influence. Feeding ducks and geese may seem harmless, but it disrupts their natural foraging behavior and can throw Lake Winnipesaukee’s ecosystem out of balance.

Bread, popcorn, chips and crackers, the foods most commonly tossed to ducks, offer almost no nutritional value. They fill waterfowl bellies but crowd out their natural diet of aquatic plants, insects, and invertebrates. Over time, this can leave them weak, more prone to disease, and even physically deformed. A nutrient-poor diet can cause a condition called “angel wing,” where the wings grow abnormally and the bird loses its ability to fly.

Feeding waterfowl also impacts the lake and those who enjoy it. Where ducks and geese gather, droppings accumulate, and waterfowl feces naturally carry bacteria like E. coli, which can contaminate beaches and lead to advisories or closures. Even more troubling, many ducks and geese carry parasites whose larvae are shed in their droppings. When swimmers come into contact with these larvae, it can cause “Swimmer’s Itch” or “Duck Itch” (cercarial dermatitis), a condition marked by itching, red bumps, and sometimes blisters. 

When we feed ducks, we encourage larger flocks to congregate in one spot. That means more droppings, more bacteria, and more parasites in the water, plus extra nutrients that can fuel algae and cyanobacteria blooms, which degrade water quality.

One of the best ways to discourage ducks and geese from gathering near your property is to create a natural shoreline buffer. Planting native vegetation along the water’s edge not only helps absorb polluted stormwater and prevent erosion, but it also makes your shoreline less appealing as a hangout. Waterfowl prefer open, manicured lawns where they can easily spot predators and make a quick escape. A vegetated buffer removes that sense of security, naturally encouraging them to move along.

The truth is, waterfowl don’t need our handouts. They’re perfectly capable of finding the food they need in their natural habitat. By keeping them wild and resisting the urge to feed them, we help protect Lake Winnipesaukee, our beaches, and the birds themselves.

For your health, the health of the lake, and the well-being of those adorable ducklings, please don’t feed the fowl.

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Bree Rossiter is the conservation program manager for the Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance. She manages the water quality monitoring program, cyanobacteria monitoring initiatives, the Winni Blue/LakeSmart program, and assists with watershed management planning efforts. Bree can be reached at brossiter@winnipesaukee.org. The Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the water quality and natural resources of the lake and its watershed. To learn more, visit winnipesaukee.org.