Is It Illegal to Feed Ducks in New York? The Rules, Place by Place

The short answer: it depends on where you are. New York has no statewide ban on feeding ducks, though feeding deer, moose and bears is illegal. But Nassau and Suffolk counties ban feeding waterfowl on county property, Suffolk’s 2020 law bans feeding wild animals anywhere in the county, and towns including Babylon, Cheektowaga and Mamaroneck have bans of their own. In New York City parks, the rules still allow feeding birds, though the groups that care for Central Park and Prospect Park ask you not to. We read the official rules in October 2026.

We make duck food, so we’d love a simpler answer. Here’s what each rule says, from Long Island to Buffalo.

The rules at a glance

A dash means the rule we read didn’t state a fine, or we couldn’t confirm one. Parks also post their own signs, so check at the water before you feed.

Is it illegal to feed ducks in New York?

Not statewide. State rules make it illegal to feed deer and moose, and the Department of Environmental Conservation says Deliberate and intentional feeding of bears is illegal in New York. There’s no matching state rule for ducks. But the DEC asks people to stop anyway: While some people enjoy feeding waterfowl, it has been found to be increasingly harmful to local waterfowl.

Counties and towns have filled the gap with bans of their own, especially on Long Island. New York State Parks’ general rules don’t mention feeding wildlife, but a park can post its own signs, so look before you feed.

New York City: allowed by the rules, discouraged by the parks

New York City’s parks rules bar feeding animals in any park except unconfined squirrels and birds, and the Parks Commissioner can mark areas where feeding isn’t allowed. Breaking the rule carries a $50 fine. So feeding ducks isn’t banned citywide, but the people who look after the parks would rather you didn’t.

The Central Park Conservancy says Bread is extremely unhealthy for ducks and geese and links it to a wing deformity called angel wing. Prospect Park Alliance asks visitors to please admire them from a respectful distance and do not feed them. And Gateway National Recreation Area, which includes Jamaica Bay, follows the federal ban on feeding wildlife in national parks.

Long Island: county land, and all of Suffolk

Nassau County’s rule: No person shall feed or provide food for any migratory waterfowl on County property at any time of year. Fines run from $100 to $500, and from $250 to $750 for a repeat offense within five years.

Suffolk County has two rules. Its code says No person shall feed or provide food for any waterfowl on County property at any time of the year, with fines of $50 to $400. And a 2020 local law bans feeding wild animals anywhere in the county. That law makes an exception for bird feeders, but the exception doesn’t cover waterfowl or nuisance birds. Fines run from $50 to $500, and each day counts as a separate offense.

The Town of Babylon bans feeding any domestic or migratory waterfowl on Town property at any time of the year, and town property includes its parks, preserves and beaches. Fines run from $100 to $500, or $250 to $750 for a repeat within five years. Fire Island National Seashore follows the federal ban.

Westchester and Western New York

The Town of Mamaroneck has banned it on public land since 1995: It shall be unlawful for any person to feed waterfowl on any publicly owned land. Fines run from $25 to $200, and a repeat can bring $100 to $250, up to 15 days in jail, or both.

Near Buffalo, the Town of Cheektowaga bans it everywhere in town, all year: No person shall feed or provide food for any wild waterfowl at any time during the year within the Town of Cheektowaga. That can cost $50 to $300, up to 15 days in jail, or both.

Where we didn’t find a ban

We didn’t find a feeding rule for the county parks in Erie, Monroe, Westchester or Onondaga counties, or for the city parks in Buffalo or Albany. That doesn’t make feeding a good idea there, and individual parks can post their own signs. Look before you feed.

Why so many places say no

New York’s DEC lists the harms that feeding does:

• Poor nutrition. Handouts aren’t a balanced diet for wild birds.
• Dirty water. Leftover food and extra droppings pollute the water, which can feed algae and raise E. coli levels.
• Crowding and disease. Food pulls birds into unnatural crowds, and disease spreads more easily in a crowd.
• Shorter migrations. Feeding can keep birds around when they would normally move on.
• Mixed flocks. Wild and domestic ducks gather at feeding spots and interbreed.
• Aggressive birds. Birds that get used to handouts can turn pushy.

Where you can feed ducks in New York

• At home. Pet ducks, and wild ducks on your own pond, unless your county or town bans it. In Suffolk County and Cheektowaga, the bans on feeding wild waterfowl cover the whole county or town.
• A private pond, with the owner’s OK. Ask first.
• New York City parks, outside posted no-feeding areas. The rules allow it, but the parks’ caretakers ask you not to, so keep it to a small handful and never bread.

Wherever you feed, keep it to a small handful at a time of food made for waterfowl, not bread. Here’s what to bring.

Other states

Heading out of state? See the rules in Pennsylvania and Ohio, or start with duck feeding rules by state.

We’ll keep this page current. If you know a New York rule we missed, email us at hapetrailsllc@gmail.com.