DOs

✅ DO – Feed ducks corn, oats, rice, birdseed, frozen peas, chopped lettuce, or sliced grapes. These are similar to foods they eat on their own anyway!

✅ DO – Make sure the food is in small, bite-sized portions as ducks do not chew their food!

✅ DO – Clean up after yourself! Dispose of any trash or uneaten food. 

✅ DO – Keep your distance and present yourself as non-threatening, especially toward ducklings who are fragile and become stressed or injured more easily.

✅ DO – Make sure you are aware of local ordinances and obey any laws that may restrict you from feeding wildlife.

✅ DO – Be very careful of any birds approaching you quickly and closely- they could be aggressive (especially swans or geese).

DON’Ts

❌ DON’T – Feed ducks anything that does not mimic their natural diet (no junk food, bread, chips, crackers, cereal, popcorn, avocado, citrus, etc.)

❌ DON’T – Give them large pieces of food. We want them to be able to eat easily, and ducks do not chew their food!

❌ DON’T – Leave any uneaten food or trash lying around. Leftover food in the water can rot and cause deadly algae, and litter can hurt birds or other wildlife!

❌ DON’T – Try to pet any wild ducks or geese. They are not pets!

❌ DON’T – Allow children or pets to chase the ducks or disturb them in any way.

❌ DON’T – Continue feeding the ducks if they seem uninterested. They might be full! Leftover food sitting around can rot as well as cause unwanted pests.

Safe Foods

• Birdseed
• Corn niblets
• Cracked corn
• Sliced grapes
• Oats
• Frozen peas
• Rice
• Chopped lettuce or kale
• Carrot pieces
• Nuts
• Grains
• Seeds
• Berries
• Cucumbers, squash, or zucchini
• Earthworms (fishing bait)
• Mealworms (fresh or dried)

Unsafe Foods

• Bread
• Popcorn
• Chips
• Avocado (Poisonous to ducks!)
• Citrus
• Spinach
• Onion
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Cereal
• Junk food
• Salty or sugary snacks
• Any dairy
• Any plants of foods from the nightshade family (eggplants, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes)