Feeding Ducks and Geese - Yes or No?

[Atom]

Hello everyone,

A few months ago I posted this thread in need of answers for my question regarding wild animal feeding in the city. The survey is part of my research for my design grad project at Emily Carr University. If you can spare a moment to answer these questions it is greatly appreciated. The purpose of this research will help me disseminate educational materials out to the public so that they can make informed decisions regarding the issue of human and urban animal interaction. Your participation is strictly voluntary.

I have since created a multiple choice survey that is much easier for me to collect information: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7PX95P9

The questions are very similar, but some are new. If you have already answered the questions here, thank you! If you would like to take the multiple choice survey again that would be wonderful, but only if you want to. The survey is 10 questions and will not take up much time. New responses are welcome and much appreciated

I need some help. I am doing a research project for a class this semester that deals with wildlife in Vancouver and childhood pastimes. It would help me out a lot if you could answer some of these questions I have. They don't have to be elaborate, but go nuts if you want!

Btw, there is absolute no judgment here. I would really appreciate honest answers.


1. Have you ever fed wild geese/ducks or other waterfowl at any point in your life? As a child? As an adult?

2.Would you consider this an important pastime or significant experience in your life?

2.5. Do you think everyone should do this once in their lifetime?

3. Was this experience enjoyable? Not enjoyable? How did it make you feel?

4. Why did you feel the urge/desire/need to feed the animals. Were you told to? Did you think they were hungry? For the Experience. List anything you can think of.

5. Do you take your children to feed the ducks/geese at the local pond? If you do, why?

6. If there someone came up to you and told you not to feed the ducks/geese. How would you feel? Would you listen? Feel like your personal freedoms were being attacked?

7. If there were a sign telling you not to feed them, would you still do it?

8. Would you stop if it was frowned upon/discouraged?

9.. Would you stop if it was against the law?

10. In general, why do you think people feed wild animals?

11. What are some other examples of your childhood pastimes?

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THANKS SO MUCH

[gmachine19]

1. yes
2. no
2.5 no
3. very enjoyable
4. I wanted to see if i can hand feed them. And I succeeded
5. N/A (no kids yet)
6. I think not feeding them is the right thing to do.
7. no
8. N/A (i don't feed them)
9. same as 8
10. It's fun to see animals eat right in front of you.
11. Catching lots of wildlife LOL!

[user_error]

1 yes, 2 no, 2.5 maybe, 3 enjoyable, 4 mostly for the smile on your kids face, 5 yes because she likes it, 6 i would see what the reasons were and then decide, 7 probably not, 8 no, 9 yes, 10 its nice to connect with nature, 11 fishing hiking etc.

[neven]

1. Have you ever fed wild geese/ducks or other waterfowl at any point in your life? As a child? As an adult?

Once as a child, but i got so chewed out by my father never again....

2.Would you consider this an important pastime or significant experience in your life?

nope, get a different pet if its your pastime.

2.5. Do you think everyone should do this once in their lifetime?

Nope

3. Was this experience enjoyable? Not enjoyable? How did it make you feel?

Nope, made me feel guilty once i understood the implications

4. Why did you feel the urge/desire/need to feed the animals. Were you told to? Did you think they were hungry? For the Experience. List anything you can think of.

No i don't.

5. Do you take your children to feed the ducks/geese at the local pond? If you do, why?

No i do not, and i never will take my sons to do this.

6. If there someone came up to you and told you not to feed the ducks/geese. How would you feel? Would you listen? Feel like your personal freedoms were being attacked?

personally i dont know, i dont feed them, i know its wrong. most people who do though, rather don't care about the laws, or can't read the signs that are everywhere now.

7. If there were a sign telling you not to feed them, would you still do it?

No.

8. Would you stop if it was frowned upon/discouraged?

yes.

9.. Would you stop if it was against the law?

yes.

10. In general, why do you think people feed wild animals?

Because it satisfies a desire within them that is unfulfilled in their personal lives. That desire outweighs the implications of what they are doing. Simply put, its another form of being selfish.

11. What are some other examples of your childhood pastimes?
I explored with my siblings and friends. Up creek beds, through forests, and around the neighbourhood.


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yes i have harsh views about this to some, but its not a freedom its feeding wildlife which is an offense in this part of the world. I've lived on the outskirts of vancouver where bears roam around due to peoples stupidity. I've seen mother bears teach their cubs how to forage trash, not berries. I've also heard the shots as they were all killed, several years in a row. I've also seen people hand feeding raccoons right below a sign saying don't feed the wildlife. It doesn't take much to ruin an animals instinct to hunt or forage for food. Birds are just the same as the other animals, look what happened to canadian geese, many don't even leave for winter now.

[Ursus sapien]

1. Have you ever fed wild geese/ducks or other waterfowl at any point in your life? As a child? As an adult? Yes, at public venues like Stanley park, Rifel Island etc. Grains only, never breads, popcorn or taco chips. Never in the wild or in problem areas.

2.Would you consider this an important pastime or significant experience in your life?
Yes. it was mesmerizing as a child.

2.5. Do you think everyone should do this once in their lifetime? Well, at least to have the opportunity if close contact with water fowl is desired.

3. Was this experience enjoyable? Not enjoyable? How did it make you feel? As a child, it created a connection, then an empathy, for wild animals. I still like going to Rifel and have the birds eat from my hands. Who knew those beaks were so hard!?

4. Why did you feel the urge/desire/need to feed the animals. Were you told to? Did you think they were hungry? For the Experience. List anything you can think of. For close up observation, for the connection to other species (it feels like a privilege).

5. Do you take your children to feed the ducks/geese at the local pond? If you do, why?
My nephews, and friends kids. for all the reasons above. They all loved it, talked about it for days and wanted to go back to watch the birds again. They learned not to chase the animals, to just quietly observe.

6. If there someone came up to you and told you not to feed the ducks/geese. How would you feel? Would you listen? Feel like your personal freedoms were being attacked? People tell me to modify my behavior all the time. Sometimes they're right, sometimes they're out to lunch. If I'm somewhere where feeding is allowed or encouraged, then off I go. If it's been banned (nuisance animals, over population etc) and I didn't notice the posting, I would stop. If there is no posting, and no by-law, then I would listen and asses the persons comments, then make my own decision. Of course, this all depends on HOW the person made their comments.

7. If there were a sign telling you not to feed them, would you still do it? No. Feeding animals can create aggressive, nuisance animals that may have to be "removed". Feeding is a personal pleasure, not an entitlement. If it is identified as a problem in a specific location, I would obey the notices.

8. Would you stop if it was frowned upon/discouraged? No. If simply a matter of the other person's bias (freaking hate ducks/geese/crows, man, stop that!) I would probably tell them politely to mind their own business. But it's also a matter of degree- a handful of oats versus a shopping bag full. Also, if there is a rodent problem, feeding the waterfowl can worsen the problem.That would be a valid reason to frown.

9.. Would you stop if it was against the law? Most likely.

10. In general, why do you think people feed wild animals? A connection to something wild, which we miss in this homogenized, regulated, artificial environment we live in.

11. What are some other examples of your childhood pastimes? I come from a family of "puddle-watchers" so, playing at pond or ocean side, watching (and catching, unfortunately) frogs and water strider and bristleworms; fishing, camping and playing dump truck:-)

[gimlid]

1 yes (child and adult both)
2 yes
2.5 yes (if educated on what suits the fowls diet)
3 enjoyable (felt happy and connected with animals)
4 why? It seemed to make the animals happy and nice to help them, just looked fun.
5 yes, only at Burnaby Lake where it is allowed and encouraged. I want my son and daughter to appreciate animals and have fun outdoors.
6 a little like my rights were violated, but I realize that most people dont know what to feed wild birds (ie white bread) so it is likely in the birds best interest in most cases to care for themselves.
7 Likely I would not feed them,
8 If it was frowned upon while it was allowed (ie no sign) I would not care, unless that person or people educated me on why I should not be doing it.
9 If it was against the law I would not do it (90% likely unless educated people (professional or non) told me the law was wrong and the birds were not getting their nutritional needs met by their environment. (final answer maybe)
10 In general because it is fun to have a connection with an animal . Perhaps Anthro Arrogance since most people liek to think they know what is best for anything and everything around them?
11 Examples of childhood pastimes- comic books,trying to keep any animal I found as a pet, baseball, bmx, swimming, dungeons and dragons, drawing.

hope that helps

[Atom]

Thanks everyone. These have been very helpful so far.

Please keep them coming

Neven, I appreciate the honesty. My project intends to address this problem actually.

[Ursus sapien]

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yes i have harsh views about this to some, but its not a freedom its feeding wildlife which is an offense in this part of the world. I've lived on the outskirts of vancouver where bears roam around due to peoples stupidity. I've seen mother bears teach their cubs how to forage trash, not berries. I've also heard the shots as they were all killed, several years in a row. I've also seen people hand feeding raccoons right below a sign saying don't feed the wildlife. It doesn't take much to ruin an animals instinct to hunt or forage for food. Birds are just the same as the other animals, look what happened to canadian geese, many don't even leave for winter now.

There are huge populations of (non native) rock doves (city pigeons) living on cliff faces along remote sections of the CN/CP rail route throughout BC, living off the spilled grain.
Just up the road from me, there's a year round colony of Canada geese living at the rail yards, again feeding on the spilled grain. With them are hundreds of rock doves, European starlings, English sparrows and Norwegian rats, all living off the grain that spills out of box cars. This scenario is repeated all along the rail route through the Fraser Valley and into Vancouver.
Human wastefulness feeds the crows, too, which have learned to scavenge from our excess. Their populations are on the rise where ever they live in proximity to humans. From the food we throw away, often directly onto the street.
My point is, we have modified the behavior of many other animals, by our excess and carelessness. Cities and city parks are not natural environments.
Even places like Rifel Island in Delta are hardly pristine. There's so much encroachment around the sanctuary that they feed the birds, too.
Yes, back yard feeders can change behavior, especially if feeders are always kept full. Hummingbirds now stay over winter in the Victoria area because of feeders and mild winters. There's evidence of an actual species split developing in a small bird in England due to year round feeding which has led to a reduction in the number of birds which bother to migrate.
It's certainly helped create an expanded Canada Goose population
in the Lower Mainland.
But it's a drop in the bucket next to the other things I've mentioned. If feeding is causing a problem somewhere, deal with it locally. Don't make it an all-or-nothing proposition.

[Srenaeb]

1. Have you ever fed wild geese/ducks or other waterfowl at any point in your life? As a child? As an adult? yes, both

2.Would you consider this an important pastime or significant experience in your life? ....no.

2.5. Do you think everyone should do this once in their lifetime? Yes

3. Was this experience enjoyable? Not enjoyable? How did it make you feel? very enjoyable; it made me feel like I'm contributing to a fellow creature's happiness, and potentially aiding it in its quest to have a little family

4. Why did you feel the urge/desire/need to feed the animals. Were you told to? Did you think they were hungry? For the Experience. List anything you can think of. They are smaller than me, which implies that I have more power over them. They look non-threatening. I'm unfamiliar with what they do, in fact, eat when I'm not around, so I assume they probably don't have enough. Their quick response to food thrown suggest hunger, a need, or at least that they appreciate the gesture.

5. Do you take your children to feed the ducks/geese at the local pond? If you do, why? no children

6. If there someone came up to you and told you not to feed the ducks/geese. How would you feel? Would you listen? Feel like your personal freedoms were being attacked? I would listen; I've seen a lot of signs saying don't let them become dependent on people. I don't want them to become problem animals, so I would likely stop.

7. If there were a sign telling you not to feed them, would you still do it? no, I would not feed them if there is a sign.

8. Would you stop if it was frowned upon/discouraged? yes

9.. Would you stop if it was against the law? yes

10. In general, why do you think people feed wild animals? we enjoy watching the way the animals respond to our actions. If they don't even so much glance at bread crumbs, no one would feed them.

11. What are some other examples of your childhood pastimes? I was mostly discouraged from going outside, so anything indoors, like lego, video games, board games, puzzles.

[Smiladon]

1. Have you ever fed wild geese/ducks or other waterfowl at any point in your life? As a child? As an adult?
Yes (child & adult)
2.Would you consider this an important pastime or significant experience in your life?
not really
2.5. Do you think everyone should do this once in their lifetime?
defintely (but not necessarily in the wild, there are places where you can feed animals and birds that are captive (some zoos etc))
3. Was this experience enjoyable? Not enjoyable? How did it make you feel?
It made me feel that I was contributing something to the birds and sharing my love towards them.
4. Why did you feel the urge/desire/need to feed the animals. Were you told to? Did you think they were hungry? For the Experience. List anything you can think of.
Look at answer to #3

5. Do you take your children to feed the ducks/geese at the local pond? If you do, why?
Haven't done it before, but in the future I might (not to feed, but enjoy watching what they do)
6. If there someone came up to you and told you not to feed the ducks/geese. How would you feel? Would you listen? Feel like your personal freedoms were being attacked?
I might listen depending on who the person saying it is. If the person seems like a responsible person who really cares about the birds, then yes. If it is some teenager who throws rocks at them, then I might have to shoo him away

7. If there were a sign telling you not to feed them, would you still do it?
No
8. Would you stop if it was frowned upon/discouraged?
Maybe
9.. Would you stop if it was against the law?
Yes (not worth getting a fine)
10. In general, why do you think people feed wild animals?
To share their love in a sub-consious manner. To feel that they did something good to a fellow living being.
11. What are some other examples of your childhood pastimes?
Soccer, Video Games, Fishing, *Exploring*, Swimming etc etc

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In my personal opinion, everyone should have the experience of feeding other creatures, but it doesn't necessarily have to be the wild birds or animals in question. I've been to zoos where you can buy a basket full of different types of food when you go in and you can feed all the animals. I still remember the ostrich that snached a fruit from my hand when I wasn't looking.
When I was a child, I've fed wild kittens I found (and keep them as pet) and I've also kept turtles (wild caught) [not in Canada BTW - I dont trust wild cats here]