Feeding bread to ducks at the park is a classic scene. Although it is always the best intentions that lead people to bring leftover bread to share a meal with these endearing creatures, this practice leads to serious health complications that could cost the animals their lives.

Jordan Ojah, a certified wildlife rehabilitator at Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Center in Isle of Oaks, describes the syndrome (called angel wing) that results from feeding bread to waterfowl:

“Angel wings occur when they are fed an improper diet and their bones are misaligned. Their bones are sort of crooked. Instead of being able to flap their wings, their bones stick out,” she says. “It’s not necessarily painful, but it’s the result of malnutrition, which can often occur when people give animals foods like bread or breadcrumbs, or just things they wouldn’t normally be able to found in the wild. It’s not nutritious for them all in the wild.

The main problem with the angel wing is that this complication prevents waterfowl from flying south during the colder months. Trapped animals cannot survive freezing temperatures. That’s what prompted the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center’s recent rescue of a mallard duck from Altona’s Buffalo Creek Natural Pond.

Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Center was notified that there was a duck on the pond that seemed unable to leave.

“We knew that the duck was not able to fly and therefore would not be able to migrate south during the winter,” says Oja. “There were wounds that matched those of an angel’s wing.”

After a mallard rescue in Altona, it was determined that the bird did not have an angel wing, but rather a broken wing. Nonetheless, Ojah says angel wing syndrome is a growing problem in the region.

“We have an influx of cases in the hospital every time an angel wing drops and we have to do many rescues every year because these ducks are simply not able to leave the areas they are in,” she said. “It takes a lot of team effort. It actually takes a lot of resources and a lot of help from the public.”

Ojah says that unless a case of angel wing is detected early in a bird’s life, while its bones are still forming, it is not reversible. This means that waterfowl diagnosed with this disease are most often euthanized.

In addition to angel wings, waterfowl are also at risk of crop damage when fed inappropriate foods. The crop, which is a pocket in a bird’s throat that is part of the digestive system, can become blocked. The blockage prevents the animal from eating, leading to painful starvation.

“They’re just fed these things like bread… which they eat and eat and eat, and then it grows in their crop, but they’re not able to digest it,” Ojah explains. “These poor ducks and geese are starving because they are not able to process the food they have been given.”

Although Ojah has compassion for those who feel like feeding the ducks and geese, she points out that it’s not what’s best for the animals.

“I know it’s a lot of fun for the kids to go and give them bread and watch them peck at it, but it’s not at all nutritious for them and it causes these injuries,” she says.

If giving bread to ducks and geese is dangerous for their health, what should we give them?

The short answer: nothing.

According to Ducks Unlimited’s short and clear article, it is best not to feed waterfowl. This practice leads to a reliance on humans for food, and the foods we must share are often less nutritious than those animals can obtain for themselves.

Ojah agrees, but there is no need to despair. Nature always finds a way to feed waterfowl.

“I know a lot of times… people try their best to feed them healthier foods, but ultimately I think we should just let wild animals run wild,” she says.

While it’s natural to want to share a meal with our beautiful feathered friends, it’s safer to just admire their beauty without bringing snacks to the park.