PLEAS have been made to help protect wildlife following the death of a duck which had been fed bread.

At a Marlborough Town Council meeting on Monday evening Val Compton, of Kennet Place, asked the council to start a campaign encouraging people to stop feeding animals along the river.

Ms Compton was prompted to take action after coming across a Muscovy duck which was frothing from its bill and had to be taken to the vets.

The duck had to be put down and the vet said that being fed bread could have been the cause.

Mayor Marian Hannaford-Dobson said she would talk to estate manager, Richard Beale, about the issue.

The RSPB has issued a list what you can do to keep birds well fed:

  • Bread is OK to feed, but in small quantities. Bread does not have any great value as a food source, and can just act as filler. If you want to put bread out for your birds, use it as part of a balanced diet with a variety of food
  • Any wild bird seed mix is great; if they contain peanuts ensure that they are smaller than dog mixer biscuits
  • Sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts, mild grated cheese, sultanas, raisins and currants (soaked overnight), pinhead oatmeal, fat balls (remove green nets if they have them) and suet blocks, apples, pears, plumbs, grapes and other soft fruit, mealworms and wax worms are all fine
  • Hard fat cut from unsalted meat is fine, so long as it’s well tethered so the birds can take small pieces from it
  • Peanuts can carry a harmful fungus, so to ensure your peanuts are Aflatoxin free buy them from a reliable source
  • You can feed meat and pet food to birds, but only put out small amounts that can be cleared in a day. Fresh meat needs to be cut into thin strips to resemble worms
  • Brown or white rice and potatoes (without salt added) are fine; just ensure that they are cooked first. You can feed pastry cooked or uncooked
  • Dry breakfast cereal (ignore wet and mushy cereal), crushed up in small quantities (make sure water is available). Porridge oats need to be fed dry straight from the packet; cooked porridge is too glutinous
  • Clean your feeders regularly! A 10% disinfection solution is suitable, but thoroughly rinse before using again

But don't:

  • Put out mouldy foods; most moulds are harmless to birds but some can cause respiratory infections. If the bird food turns mouldy, discard it and try putting less out so the birds clear the food up
  • Polyunsaturated margarines and vegetable oils contain less energy and cause problems if they get smeared into the feathers of the bird
  • Don’t put out any food that contains salt; birds cannot metabolise salt and it ends up being a toxin to them. Salted peanuts and nuts should never be fed
  • Fats from roasting tins and grill pans are soft and can cause problems if it gets into the bird’s feathers. It will also soften quicker enabling harmful bacteria to form
  • Do not put out whole peanuts for the birds as there is the potential for choking. Ideally put the peanuts in a ridged mesh feeder so small amounts can be taken at a time as the peanuts break up, or finely chop if you have to feed from the ground
  • Don’t give milk to birds or hedgehogs; they cannot digest it
  • Don’t feed desiccated coconut as it can swell inside the bird. Coconut in the shell is OK
  • Avoid food that chicks can’t eat during the breeding season; don’t leave out loose peanuts, large pieces of bread or dry, hard food.

    Ther charity says: "Whatever you feed your birds, don’t forget to provide some water for them to drink and bathe in, a shallow plant dish is ideal and easy to keep clean.

    "Remember, after filling your feeders and putting food out for the birds, always wash your hands afterwards."