Love Our Geese

... but don't feed them.

I've started to collect information on the problems of feeding wild geese in our city park, especially stale bread. A few comments on Facebook didn't have any effect, so I'm going to be putting all the information here as reference.

People have always enjoyed feeding gulls, geese, ducks or swans at beaches and parks. Indeed, they feel they are doing the birds a big favor, helping them out. What they might not realize is that feeding these birds is detrimental to them and the environment in many ways. Please read on to learn more about the harmful effects of hand feeding waterfowl.
http://hardeybordercollies.com/id91.html
Ten Reasons to Not Feed Geese.

WHAT DUCKS SHOULDN'T EAT >>>
Unfortunately, the food most people associate with ducks – BREAD – is also one of the worst parts of a duck's diet.
Bread is bad for ducks because it lacks any nutritional value for the birds. A diet of mostly bread or bread-like products such as crackers, cookies, donuts, chips, cereal, popcorn and similar scraps will cause health problems, including obesity, malnutrition and poor development. Uneaten, rotting bread in the water will foster disease and attract pests and predators such as rats, raccoons and other mammals that may prey on ducklings or even attack adult ducks. Birders who enjoy feeding ducks should do so only rarely and should offer a range of nutritious foods, such as cracked corn, oats, chopped vegetables and lettuce leaves instead of unhealthy bread.

What Do Ducks Eat ?