TULSA -- The City of Tulsa wants to discourage people from feeding ducks at ponds throughout the city.
“There were a couple [of ducks] that died recently and it's kind of indirectly, because people feed them and attract so many here,” Anna America, City of Tulsa Parks and Recreation Director, said.
America said feeding the birds attracts more birds which leads to a lot of bird droppings which affects the water composition of the pond.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department recently tested the water and found blue green algae. The growth is what is killing fish in the pond and causing people to find dead birds lying on the shore.
“Sometimes people will drop off birds,” America said. “They get a duck for Easter and then realize they really don't want a duck once it stops being a cute duckling, so they think ‘Oh I’ll just go drop it off at a pond.’”
The recent cooler weather has gotten the algae situation under control for now, but the abundance of birds is still a problem for the neighbors.
“When you're not over there… they're spreading that way… spreading that way… that way and every direction,” Gloria Wilcott who lives across the street said. “You can't get away from them at all.”
The birds walk into the neighbors yard. They block streets and Wilcott has had enough.
“That's why I decided I was going to stay in the house, because I don't want to smell that and I don't want to look at it,” Wilcott said.
America said they are talking about putting up signs to educate visitors why they should not feed the birds.
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