MIDLAND, TX (KWES) - We've all done it once or twice, we take a loaf of bread with us to the park to feed the ducks. But what we might not know is, bread is actually harmful to the birds.
"Bread is probably one of the worst things you can feed em," said Michael Nickell with Sibley Nature Center.
While it is common to feed them bread, bread is considered junk food to the birds.
"It's just basically junk food with little to no nutritional value. It's very, very high in carbohydrates so it's a very, very unhealthy diet for the birds," Nickell said.
No one knows exactly where the idea came from that has us all bringing bread with us when we head to the park.
Nickell said even when he was a child, people brought bread to feed the ducks.
Instead of bread, there are other healthier options.
"You can also feed them things like grapes that have been halved or frozen peas or grains," said Nickell.
You can also go to many of the feed stores and specifically manufactured pellets for the ducks or even ground up kale and romaine lettuce.
