One of the most popular tourist attractions to visit in Regina is the large body of water in the middle of the city – Wascana Lake. It’s a hot spot during the summertime, and you may even come across some geese during your visit.

It may be tempting to share a snack with birds at the park, but the Wascana Centre is saying otherwise.

The centre is reminding residents to not feed geese bread around the lake area in downtown Regina over the warm months.

Ecologist Sarah Romuld explained how there are eventual consequences for the birds if they are fed pieces of bread by the public. She compared it to humans eating too much candy, adding that bread has no nutritional value for birds and can create health problems for them in the long run.

“We want to educate the public that [bread] has zero benefits for them,” answered Romuld. “For a long time, people were feeding bread to birds, and at that time it was acceptable.”

The effects can begin as early as when they are babies. According to Romuld, young geese who consume bread at an early age tend to grow too rapidly and develop a condition called “angel wing”.

“Their wings cannot support the weight, and the last joint almost twists and bends outwards, rendering them flightless,” she said.

Behaviours can change for birds who are frequently fed by people, too.  There’s a chance they can lose their fear of humans and become overly aggressive to pedestrians.

So the next time you want to feed birds at the park, consider doing our feathered friends a favour by leaving the bread on your table at home.