Don’t Feed The Ducks — Seriously, Don’t Do It

It’s happening! The ducks that make their homes on and around Reykjavík’s central pond, Tjörnin, are welcoming their babies.

While it’s undeniably adorable to watch the little ducklings swimming behind their mamas at this time of year, it’s not cute to watch the baby ducks swarmed by seagulls. For that reason, Reykjavík asks that visitors to the pond refrain from feeding the ducks. In addition to posing a danger to the ducklings by attracting predatory birds, tossing bread or other bird feeds in or around the pond is entirely unnecessary, as the ducks and their ducklings have plenty to eat throughout the summer.

As per signage posted around Tjörnin, those wishing to feed the ducks will have to wait until the fall. However, even then, it is not a good idea to toss bread to the pond dwellers — bread is simply not good for the ducks, offering them little by way of nutrition and causing them to poop a lot more. If you must feed the ducks come fall, opt for thawed peas, duck pellets or halved grapes.