Angel wing spotted in ducks in Winnipeg; public reminded to avoid feeding wildlife

The Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre is putting out a reminder to Manitobans not to feed wildlife, including birds, pointing out it can have dire results for the animals.

The centre posted online recently that staff were called to St. Vital Park to rescue two mallard ducks who were suffering from a condition called angel wing.

Angie Furniss, the wildlife rehabilitation manager at the centre, said angel wing is when the joint on the wing becomes twisted and the feathers permanently point upwards.

She said this is caused by the diet of the bird, mainly caused by people feeding them.

"Basically, it's the incorrect diet. What they do is they are feeding on a chloric diet, high-energy diet. It's also lacking in vitamins and nutrients," said Furniss. "Bread, crackers, even doughnuts are given at times. High in sugar.

"What's happening is that bread fills their stomach up, the animals aren’t actually able to go forage or look for nutrients because they are full, so why should they?"

Furniss said if angel wing is caught in really young birds, there is a chance it can be corrected, but the older the bird is, the harder it is to do anything.

"People have always asked, is it really, really painful? We don't know, we always say no because it looks bad, but it doesn't feel the pain. But it can lead to the animal being in a lot of pain because they aren't able to migrate and it also opens them up to predators too because they can't fly away."

She said this is just one example of why people should not feed wildlife.

"It also causes an overpopulation of animals too. So all those birds are gathering and we are having a spread of disease, especially now with highly pathogenic avian influenza. We do not want that to spread any further."

She added feeding birds and animals food such as bread can pollute the water source as well. It can become mouldy and create algae, which can lead to other problems.

Furniss said it is best that people just follow the signs at parks that say don't feed the wildlife.

If they do notice something of concern, the public can call the centre for assistance.