Rockwood Park ducks refuse to fly south as feeding continues

Many Saint John residents are continuing to feed the ducks at Rockwood Park despite a request from the city to halt the practice.

A sign posted in the urban park asks people not to feed the ducks because it stops some of the birds from flying south in the winter.

Barb and Cheryl Horgan visit the ducks in Rockwood Park throughout the year, But this year, they noticed something was wrong.

I agree that we shouldn't have done it, but we've done it. But now it's our responsibility to take care of them.- Cheryl Horgan

"This is the first year that we've really seen the winter, with the relentless cold, with the amount of snow that we had in January and February, they seem to be suffering,” she said.

For years now, the ducks haven't migrated because visitors feed them in the spring, summer and fall.

But when the winter hits, the ducks are left with little food in the Saint John park.

Though they never fed the ducks before, the Horgans decided to buy some duck feed this winter to help them out.

"I thought even if we came out every few days and help them over the hump, they might make it to the summer and the spring,” Barb Horgan said.

Her daughter said it's the community's responsibility to help the ducks survive the winter. After that, the feeding needs to stop.

"Some people say let them die, some people say you got to feed them because it's our fault they're like this. It is our fault that they're like this," she said.

"I agree that we shouldn't have done it, but we've done it. But now it's our responsibility to take care of them."

200 ducks still in park

Rockwood Park has a no-feeding policy because park officials want the ducks to migrate naturally when food runs out in the fall.

But Connie Browne, a park naturalist, said she understands why people want to help the birds that are still in the park over the winter.

"In a perfect world, we would say everybody leave the natural animals to be natural, to behave naturally,” she said.

“But we have a very unnatural situation here. We have about 200 ducks that are here in February. They're not supposed to be here. They're having a hard time finding a food source so I can definitely understand both sides."

Browne said if visitors do decide to feed the ducks, don't give them bread.

She recommends grains, corn, barley, oats or fruits and vegetables, such as sliced grapes or peas.

“That's definitely more nutritious to them and make healthier ducks at least rather than just feeding them simply bread,” she said.

If people stop feeding the ducks completely, Browne said the birds will begin flying south during the winter.