What Kind of Snails Do Ducks Eat?

Ducks don't just eat old bread. Both wild and domestic ducks will eat anything from grain to aquatic plants to insects. Among the foods they are known to enjoy are snails. While ducks' predilection for snails has been a boon for many gardeners and farmers, it has also put some ducks in danger.

  1. Common Garden Snails

    • Ducks are known to enjoy eating the common European brown garden snails found in many parts of North America. Gardening enthusiasts have exploited this craving and found that keeping a few ducks in the yard will keep plant-destroying snails safely in check. These snails are also edible for humans: they are the same species of snail (Helix aspersa) considered a delicacy in French cuisine. To be safe for either human or duck consumption the snails must be free of pesticide residue.

    Golden Apple Snails

    • Domestic ducks also help farmers in Southeast Asia control invasive golden apple snails, which can cause extensive damage to rice paddies. The snails, originally native to South America, were originally brought to Asia as a possible food source for humans and have since established themselves in the wild and become agricultural pests. Some rice farmers have found that keeping domestic ducks in their rice paddies has been an effective way to keep the snail population in check without pesticides. The ducks have the additional advantage of serving as an extra source of food and income for farmers and their families.

    Mud Bithynia or Faucet Snails

    • Ducks' fondness for eating snails has also put them in danger. In 2008 about 50,000 migrating lesser scaup, a species of duck, had died after feeding on invasive mud bithynia snails in the Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge, which straddles Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. The snails, which are native to Europe but now colonize the Great Lakes, host a parasite that proved fatal to the ducks that ingested it.

    Watercress Snails

    • Other types of water snails are eaten by ducks as well. Among these are watercress or spring snails, native to the western U.S. These small snails grow to about 5 mm in length and are eaten by trout and leeches as well as ducks.