No Feeding the Geese: City Moves Forward With Ordinance

Geese, ducks and other birds often line Port Washington's shorelines, scattered across the marina, beaches and nearby parks and parking lots.

Despite signs posted in the area asking people not to feed the birds, Port Washington officials say many people do — and that it's a problem.

"(There are) people standing right beside the sign that says 'Don’t feed the ducks,'" Ald. Bill Driscoll said. "Feeding the ducks ... in looking more into it — it creates a mess for one thing, and if we're going to do something about it, now is probably the time before things get carried over on the (new Coal Dock Park.)"

Feeding the birds can lead to more problems than just a mess, Driscoll said. Birds who are used to having plenty of food available will ignore instinctive migratory patterns, meaning the area where they are living does not have time to recover from waste and damage caused by the birds. 

"It just causes a chain reaction — the bacteria levels can start killing off fish, which is what they eat — and then they die," Drisoll said, "which is kind of defeating the purpose of feeding the geese, I think."

Though signs do ask residents not to feed the geese and ducks, it's currently not against the law — and the police department has no means to do anything about the issue.

"Basically you've gotta give it teeth – this is a step in that direction," Ald. Dan Becker said.