Worcester, MA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered birds
- Gulls, ducks, geese, swans
- Fine
- $100 per offense
- Pet exception
- Lawfully-kept pet waterfowl exempt
- Farmer exception
- Licensed farmers on own/leased land
- Amended
- May 24, 2011
Summary
Worcester bans feeding or baiting gulls and any waterfowl, including ducks, geese and swans, anywhere in the city. Scattering grain, bread or other feed to lure the birds draws a $100 fine per offense, though pet waterfowl and licensed farmers are exempt.
No person, except as otherwise provided by the Massachusetts General Laws, shall feed or bait any gulls (birds in the family Laridae often informally called seagulls) or any waterfowl of the family Anatidae (including, but not restricted to ducks, geese, and swans) at any place within the city. ... Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be subject to a fine of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each offense thereof.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 8, Section 9B of the Revised Ordinances, amended in 2011, prohibits feeding or baiting gulls of the family Laridae or any waterfowl of the family Anatidae, expressly naming ducks, geese and swans, anywhere within the city. The ordinance defines "feeding" and "baiting" broadly to cover placing, exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering corn, wheat, other grain, bread, salt, or any other feed or nutritive substance in a way that lures, attracts or entices these birds to an area. Subsection (b) carves out three exceptions: a farmer, as defined under Chapter 128, Section 1A, feeding domesticated waterfowl on land the farmer owns or leases; propagators licensed under General Laws Chapter 131, Section 23 feeding confined birds under that license's conditions; and any person feeding waterfowl that they lawfully keep as a pet.
The ordinance sits in Chapter 8's public-health provisions alongside the recreational-vehicle parking and metal-container rules, reflecting the city's rationale that concentrated waterfowl feeding creates a public-health and property nuisance from droppings and aggressive flocking rather than a wildlife-management concern.
Violations & Fines
Anyone who feeds or baits gulls or waterfowl in violation of Section 9B is subject to a $100 fine for each offense. Because the prohibition covers each instance of scattering feed, a person who feeds birds on multiple occasions can be fined separately for each one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed ducks or geese at a Worcester park?
Is it legal to feed seagulls in Worcester?
Are there any exceptions to Worcester's waterfowl feeding ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Worcester
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Wildlife Feeding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle wildlife feeding.