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Feeding Waterfowl

THE WAY TO A PERSON’S HEART MAY BE THROUGH THE STOMACH, BUT THE SAME IS NOT TRUE FOR WILDLIFE.  LOVING WILDLIFE MEANS NOT FEEDING IT, AS YOU’LL HEAR ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE. 

IT’S FALL – ONE OF THE BEST SEASONS FOR BIRDWATCHING. VISIT A LOCAL LAKE AND YOU’LL LIKELY SEE DUCKS, GEESE, AND OTHER MIGRATING WATERFOWL.  BUT DON’T FEED THEM!  YOU MIGHT THINK YOU’RE DOING YOUR FEATHERED FRIENDS A FAVOR, BUT HANDOUTS ARE NOT AS NUTRITIOUS AS THEIR NATURAL FOOD.

GORDON BATCHELLER, A WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST WITH THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, SAYS FEEDING WATERFOWL ALSO FACILITATES THE SPREAD OF DISEASE BY BRINGING UNUSUALLY LARGE NUMBERS OF BIRDS INTO CLOSE QUARTERS. IT COULD ALSO DELAY THEIR MIGRATION AND ATTRACT THEM TO DANGEROUS, POPULATED AREAS.

BATCHELLER: I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US AS RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF THE ENVIRONMENT TO REMEMBER THAT WILDLIFE SHOULD BE KEPT WILD. 

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM. 

To learn more, visit the New York DEC