AFuelling
Don't feed the Mallards!
Remembering seeing these guys when you went to the park as a kid? I sure do, they used to always chase me around! Here is something you may not know: They have a controversial public opinion and must be kept under sharp watch by fish and wildlife.
One group of people believes them to be beautiful creatures, keeping a few as pets in their own backyard. The various insects they eat allow plants to grow unharmed, and there are many different species with varied diets to allow the garden owner to choose one that will (mostly) only eat the right things. For perhaps the most known argument, how can you beat free eggs? However, some people do not share the same feelings towards ducks. They focus on how they destroy agriculture by eating their way through the vegetation, and how their poop is an eyesore and a possible health hazard if not avoided carefully.
As interesting and mixed as public opinion is, the department of fish and wildlife has their own take on Anas platyrhynchos. They monitor the ducks populations carefully as overpopulation leads to habitat destruction, often resulting in crop loss for farmers. Also, overabundant ducks that live around a pond can kill off much of the life in the water, either by over eating the animals or pooping so much in the water that algae no longer have access to light, which reduces the total oxygen available to all organisms living in the water. Lastly, it is strongly recommended not to feed wild ducks. By doing so we encourage more ducks to come live where there is free food which leads to the overpopulation effects previously described. The next time you see a pack of mallards, please don't feed them as exceeding their carrying capacity can kill off entire species in an area!
Don't feed the Mallards!
Remembering seeing these guys when you went to the park as a kid? I sure do, they used to always chase me around! Here is something you may not know: They have a controversial public opinion and must be kept under sharp watch by fish and wildlife.
One group of people believes them to be beautiful creatures, keeping a few as pets in their own backyard. The various insects they eat allow plants to grow unharmed, and there are many different species with varied diets to allow the garden owner to choose one that will (mostly) only eat the right things. For perhaps the most known argument, how can you beat free eggs? However, some people do not share the same feelings towards ducks. They focus on how they destroy agriculture by eating their way through the vegetation, and how their poop is an eyesore and a possible health hazard if not avoided carefully.
As interesting and mixed as public opinion is, the department of fish and wildlife has their own take on Anas platyrhynchos. They monitor the ducks populations carefully as overpopulation leads to habitat destruction, often resulting in crop loss for farmers. Also, overabundant ducks that live around a pond can kill off much of the life in the water, either by over eating the animals or pooping so much in the water that algae no longer have access to light, which reduces the total oxygen available to all organisms living in the water. Lastly, it is strongly recommended not to feed wild ducks. By doing so we encourage more ducks to come live where there is free food which leads to the overpopulation effects previously described. The next time you see a pack of mallards, please don't feed them as exceeding their carrying capacity can kill off entire species in an area!