Cincinnati Parks has issued an advisory asking residents to stop feeding ducks and geese, citing health and sanitation problems tied to the practice.
According to the parks department, most human food given to these birds is unhealthy for them. Bread, the most common offering, can harm their digestive systems and may increase the amount of waste they produce. It also supplies little nutrition; eating too much fills their stomachs without delivering needed nutrients, which can contribute to malnutrition and a permanent wing deformity the department calls angel wing.
The department says feeding encourages waterfowl to depend on people for food and to gather in larger numbers near lakes. Those concentrations can create health and maintenance problems, with substantial feces and urine left across lawns, sidewalks, and ponds. That waste, the department states, creates an unpleasant and unsanitary setting for people and other animals using those areas.
If people feed the birds anyway, the guidance recommends healthier options: lettuce, cabbage, corn, peas, broccoli, and tomatoes. Most fruits are considered safe, though citrus should be avoided. The department's bottom line remains that feeding should stop.