I would like to ask how safe is it to feed rock doves and ducks bread? I like to go to a community duck pond and film the ducks and I would like to know how safe is it to feed them bread?
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How safe is bread for ducks? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter mattdavis1979
- Start date
It's got very little nutritional value for the birds. Much better to use seed.
However it won't kill them so long as there's no mould on it
However it won't kill them so long as there's no mould on it
Thank you so much for your fast reply. I feed a pigeon mixture whenever I can. However mostly I tend to go with bread. I would assume that the pigeon mixture is ok to feed the duck as well?
At one of the local city parks I frequent I regularly see Common Mergansers scrabbling for bread as enthusiastically as any of the tame residents--Mallards, Canada Geese, pigeons, coots, feral domestics etc. The mergansers are winter visitors, arriving in the fall & leaving in the spring, & I'm at a loss to know what attracts these specialized fish eaters to such seemingly inappropriate fare. Surely they can't derive much (if any) nutriment from it? Maybe, they just get swept up in the feeding frenzy or, as you say, just like the taste?
bartolli
Well-known member
Although white bread is not in itself bad for birds, it has very little nutritional value. When birds eat white bread they fill up on non-nutritional food, which is not good!
I believe there are reports that this can cause a nasty condition called angel wing which is where the wing bones deform due to lack of nutrition/vitamins?
The RSPB say this:
"All types of bread are acceptable to birds, but ideally it should only be just one component in a varied diet. Bread does not contain the necessary protein and fat birds need from their diet, and so it can act as an empty filler. Although bread isn't harmful to birds, try not to offer it in large quantities, since its nutritional value is relatively low. A bird that is on a diet of predominantly, or only bread, can suffer from serious vitamin deficiencies, or starve."
Better to feed them a seed mix or wholegrain bread than only white bread!
I believe there are reports that this can cause a nasty condition called angel wing which is where the wing bones deform due to lack of nutrition/vitamins?
The RSPB say this:
"All types of bread are acceptable to birds, but ideally it should only be just one component in a varied diet. Bread does not contain the necessary protein and fat birds need from their diet, and so it can act as an empty filler. Although bread isn't harmful to birds, try not to offer it in large quantities, since its nutritional value is relatively low. A bird that is on a diet of predominantly, or only bread, can suffer from serious vitamin deficiencies, or starve."
Better to feed them a seed mix or wholegrain bread than only white bread!
Thanks for your answers. I really appreciate your help.
Mark Harper
World Birder
I am just back from Asa Wright Centre in Trinidad, where the bird tables have a mixture of fruit and bread, but the bread seemed most popular despite the birds visiting being predominantly fruit-eaters. Very strange watching Banaquits, Tanagers and Motmots eating bread.
I wonder what (if any) scientific studies have been published on the effects of feeding bread to birds at public parks & suchlike places? Is it really true that birds "fill up" on "empty" foods to the detriment of their health when more nutritious foods are available? Human children (adults for that matter) might do this, but do birds? I've asked this question before on BF but have never had any very satisfactory answers.
As far as angel wing is concerned, my understanding is that it develops in young birds growing up, & that most waterfowl with the condition at public parks weren't born there but were dumped there as adults.
As far as angel wing is concerned, my understanding is that it develops in young birds growing up, & that most waterfowl with the condition at public parks weren't born there but were dumped there as adults.
I've never seen proof of this either (but would be happy to be convinced). Given that bread is nearly all flour anyway, which is just ground up seeds, I wonder how bad it can be.
In place I frequent in California, Night Herons also eat the bread which I've found quite strange. Never heard of Mergansers eating it but if Night Herons will...
Based on the behavior of birds at these types of places, I have my doubts. Geese, even domestics released into these places still spend most of their time grazing. Indeed domestic geese seem more fit after being released into city parks than they do in people's backyards. Mallards still tip up for food and scaups still dive farther from shore.
I'm not aware of any studies one way of the other but it appears that birds simply snack on it but still eat their natural foods when available. However as others have said, feeding seeds and grain is better.
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