Moscow residents urged not to feed ducks

Residents of Moscow have been warned that if the townspeople do not stop feeding the ducks, their offspring may suffer or die. This was announced on Monday, April 16, by the press service of the Moscow Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

"Feeding of birds should be stopped annually with the arrival of stable plus temperatures. Excessive care can harm both the birds themselves and their future brood," the Moscow City News agency reports.

Experts stressed that human feeding is not suitable for feeding duck chicks. Untimely feeding leads to the loss of the natural instincts of animals, and they become dependent on humans, the website notes. kp.ru . Having started to receive easily accessible food, birds may mistakenly choose a place for a nest where there will be no species-specific food for feeding chicks, writes "Moscow 24". A lack of nutrients can lead to diseases and even death of ducklings, says RIAMO.

"Natural feeds provide ducks with all the necessary nutrients much better than treats from humans," the press service said.

As of February 2025, there were 5.5 thousand ducks in Moscow. Most often they can be found in the city parks Kuzminki-Lyublino and Ostankino, as well as in the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve.