Fort Collins, CO Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Feeding inside City natural areas
- Covers
- Songbirds, squirrels, ducks, geese, other wildlife
- Exception
- Natural Areas Department permit
- Classification
- Petty offense, § 23-193(f)
- Penalty
- Up to $300, up to 10 days
- Related rule
- Citywide geese/deer feeding ban, § 4-73
Summary
Feeding songbirds, squirrels, ducks, geese or any other wildlife inside a City natural area is unlawful without a Natural Areas Department permit, under Municipal Code § 23-193(d)(11). The Department enforces it as a petty offense, and a separate citywide ban on feeding wild geese or ducks anywhere in Fort Collins runs under § 4-73.
Except as authorized by a permit obtained for such use from the Department, it shall be unlawful to: ... (11) Feed, or attempt to feed, songbirds, squirrels, ducks, geese or any other wildlife species in a natural area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 155 | Transitional Land Use Code (for project before May 17, 2024): Supplement 61 | Traffic Code: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
" The Natural Areas Department administers the permit process referenced in the opening clause and in § 23-194, so a person cannot lawfully scatter bird seed, bread or other food for wildlife on Fort Collins natural-area land without first obtaining that authorization. This citywide feeding rule works alongside, but is distinct from, § 4-73(b)(6), (7) and (9), which separately bans keeping or feeding deer, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and wild geese or ducks anywhere in the City, not just inside a natural area; § 4-73(e) additionally requires the Natural Areas Department to issue a written warning before anyone can be prosecuted for feeding wild geese or ducks at a given location.
Subsection (f) of § 23-193 sets the penalty scheme for the natural areas article: most acts under subsection (d), including feeding under (d)(11), are classified as a petty offense, while other listed acts rise to a misdemeanor.
Violations & Fines
Feeding wildlife in a natural area under § 23-193(d)(11) is expressly listed in § 23-193(f) as a petty offense, punishable under the City's current penalty table at § 1-15(h) by up to 10 days in jail and a fine of up to $300. Natural Areas rangers and animal control officers can issue citations on sight; a companion violation of the citywide § 4-73 geese-and-ducks feeding ban requires a prior written warning before any citation can issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed ducks or geese at a Fort Collins natural area?
What's the penalty for feeding wildlife in a natural area?
Does this rule apply anywhere in the city, or just natural areas?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Collins
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Wildlife Feeding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Larimer County handle wildlife feeding.