What Do Wild Ducks Eat? They Find Food While Foraging

It’s a mystery what else wild ducks can eat. Wild ducks are seen in a variety of places. Be it a park or a jungle, you may see wild ducks migrating to the north or seeking food in the water.

So, what do wild ducks eat? Wild ducks eat whatever is found naturally in the wild. These are grass and grains in general. But water resources availability adds aquatic plants, invertebrates, and larvae to their diet as well. In fact, they’re found to eat leftover bread! Wild ducks have quite a strong immune system and usually do not suffer by taking anything unusual for ducks.

Wild ducks are pretty interesting. I’ll try to cover up everything about their diet in this article. So, keep on reading!

What Do Wild Ducks Eat? 5 Top Dietary Considerations

Wild ducks primarily prefer grains and grass. But they do not pose any differences while talking about what else they intake. They eat literally everything that is found while foraging.

However, here’s my list of wild duck diets:

1. Grains (Wheat, Rice, Corn, etc.)
2. Grass
3. Aquatic Plants ( algae, duckweed, smartweed)
4. Insects (Bees, Beetles, Grasshopper etc)
5. Herbs (Dandelions, Garlic etc)

No further due. Let’s have a walk through what wild ducks primarily eat in a nutshell.

1. Grains 

While foraging in the wild, ducks eat whatever they come across. Grains are a common food they find. Ducks often found in parks and wildlife reserves tend to consume grains frequently because people sometimes offer them these foods.

Some of the commonly found grains for ducks are as follows: 

• Corn
• Wheat
• Barley
• Rice 
• Millet

Grains are good for ducks because they need multiple essential nutrients to grow faster and have good muscle development. But grains for wild ducks may also bring troubles if you think about it practically. Here’s how. 

Grains come with many essential nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, contributing to ducks’ well-being. But too much of these good nutrients can mess with their health. Overconsumption may lead to nutritional imbalance, making them overweight. 

2. Grass 

In the wild, ducks such as Mallard and American Wigeons are often seen to eat grass. This grass is beneficial for them from a lot of perspectives. For example, grass is an excellent source of fiber for them and also a steady source of energy.

They munch on grasses near the water bodies as a part of their forging behavior. In North America, ducks are seen in lakes, rivers, or wetland edges.

Also, Eurasian Wigeons consume grasses. Regardless of region and migration patterns, ducks eat grasses to supplement their diet and nutritional needs as well.

In addition, those wild ducks that are found mostly in water, such as Northern Pintail, are known to eat grasses, other aquatic plants, and algae.

3. Aquatic Plants

Wild ducks have a preference for plenty of aquatic plants. These include southern naiad, pondweed, duckweed, coontail, and milfoil. Beyond the fact that ducks may find it tasty, all these aquatic plants provide steady energy and protein.

4. Insects

Insects are mostly available for wild ducks in their habitats. Wetland environments provide ample insects in general for the waterfowl. Insects are prey for ducks, considering the wetland ecosystem. 

Here are some insects that wild ducks consume:

Insects are generally attracted to waterbodies and aquatic plants. While forging near the water’s edge, ducks do catch insects since they’re adopted to do so. 

According to research done by the Korean Food Institute, insects are a great source of protein. This can boost muscle development and egg production of wild ducks.

5. Herbs

Herbs are gold for ducks, and these are both available and beneficial. Some of the herbs that are found to be consumed by ducks the most are as follows:

• Rosemary 
• Basil 
• Mint 
• Thyme 
• Lavender 
• Sage
• Dill
• Mint
• Oregano
• Parsley (Italian)

Herbs are good for ducks as they come with so many essential nutrients. These plants offer vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants contributing to ducks well-being. 

We often hear wild ducks have a better immunity than backyard ducks. It is because of herbs potentially—some of the herbs such as rosemary, mint, and oregano.

Oregano has a healing significance, for example. Oregano has two antifungal and antibacterial properties called thymol and carvacrol, found by a group of researchers from the US, France, and Germany. 

Also, rosemary and parsley reduce antioxidant stress and protect from harmful radicals.

Do Diving Ducks Have a Different Dietary Preference? Water Stuff Basically

Till now, the diet we talked about defined dabbling ducks’ diet. Wild dabbling ducks can eat both in the water body and in the ground. 

However, diving ducks are a little specific about their diet. They usually are seen to fly above large waterbodies such as the sea. So, it’s pretty normal that they’ll most eat water creatures and plants. 

These are what diving ducks eat in general: 

• Aquatic plants
• Fish
• Mollusks

Now let’s have a quick walk through what they commonly consume. 

• Aquatic Plants: Diving ducks, such as scaups and canvasbacks, are usually seen to consume submerged aquatic plants such as pondweeds. Some other North American ducks are seen to consume watermilfoil that is found in freshwater habitats. 

However, other aquatic plants such as water lilies and smartweeds are also a common thing in diving ducks’ diet. 

• Fish: Diving ducks consume varieties of small fishes such as small minnows, gappy, perch, sunfish, and trout. Some wild ducks may eat big fish that we usually think might cause them choking trouble. That’s pretty surprising. 

Here’s a video featuring a wild duck hunting fish from a waterbody: 

But it depends on the region they’re in. For example, gappy are found in northern South America, which also originated from there.

So, it’s obvious that diving ducks from that region will consume fish like gappy. England researchers claim that some specific diving ducks, for instance, common mergansers, may consume fish the most.

• Mollusks: Diving ducks may enjoy munching on mollusks as well. I think these are tasty snacks for the diving ducks. All these mollusks, such as snails, clams, and mussels, come with a high protein ratio.

Diving ducks also check out other underwater treats with shells, like tiny shrimp and crayfish. When ducks dive down, you can be sure they’re not just swimming – they’re having a feast!

What Do Wild Ducklings Eat? Same As Adult Ducks

You know, baby ducks and adult ducks do not really have drastically different diets. Both of them eat pretty much the same. But still, things like water bugs and small plants might come first if I am specific about their primary consumption.

They will consume water bugs, small worms, and algae while foraging. They start exploring more food while they’re growing up. The consumption of insects, larvae, and other aquatic invertebrates is just enough for them since they are all protein-rich. These help them grow fast and keep them in top shape.

Can Wild Ducks Eat Bread? BBC Claims No!

Wild ducks do eat bread. But I can’t tell if they provide any benefits to them, like the other options I mentioned earlier. In 2019, BBC published an article featuring the debate on whether or not bread is nutritious for ducks and whether they should be fed bread.

At a park in Derbyshire, the park authority had no problems with feeding bread to ducks. But later on, the authorities removed the signboard due to an incident in the park regarding feeding bread to ducks. Look at the picture below:

The signboard where the park authority in Derbyshire told breads are OK.

So, one thing is clear, Breads don’t bring any nutritional value for ducks. Hence, you shouldn’t feed them bread. But it’s okay if they occasionally have some. They can eat bread.

Do Wild Ducks Eat Processed Food in Park? They Shouldn’t

Wild ducks eat processed food as well. But they should not fed such a thing. When you’re at the park, you may have a candy, chicken fry, or a packet of popcorn in your hand. Do not just feed it to ducks. These can cause them to be lethargic. They can’t digest processed food well. 

Wild ducks eat leftover food, basically. For example, chips, chocolate, popcorn, and all that. But, this should not be fed, I’m repeating it. New York State Government suggests people not to feed anything to ducks in the parks. You may read our article to know more about how suitable park food is for ducks.

The state government thinks ducks won’t disappear if you do not feed them in the park. Instead, let them forage and eat whatever they find naturally. 

Recommended Reading:

• What Do Ducks Eat Naturally
• What Not To Feed Ducks

Bottom Line

Wild ducks eat whatever they find during foraging. But depending on the area they’re in, their diet may vary. Dabbling ducks and diving ducks might share almost the same food, but diving ducks are quite specific since they mostly fly above the sea.

Just be aware of feeding them at the park. Do not give them whatever you have in your hand. Let them forage and eat whatever they find naturally. As a result, their good health and mental well-being will be ensured. As a result, reproduction will be boosted, and they’ll be more in number.

Sources And Reference:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6728817/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6152729/
• https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Dabblers_vs._Divers.html