When Birds Take Garden Pond Fish

Deter Herons and Kingfishers from Fishing Your Water Feature

Jul 1, 2008 Rosemary Drisdelle

Herons, kingfishers and other birds see your pond fish as fair game. There are a few tricks to discourage them from killing or injuring your fish.

A pond stocked with fish is a charming garden feature, but it’s also a temptation to creatures that eat fish, including birds. Herons and kingfishers visit garden pools for a meal; osprey, magpies, jays, sea birds, and ducks will as well.

What’s Taking the Fish?

When fish disappear, the first step is to find out what’s taking them. Predators like herons are good at learning your movements, so spotting the culprit may require a change in routine. Check the pond at times when you usually aren’t around. A light near the pond controlled by a remote switch helps as well.

The Scarecrow Approach to Protecting Fish from Birds

Herons prefer to fish in solitude, so installing a replica of a heron by the pond can deter them. This strategy, however, can backfire in several ways: during breeding season, the statue can actually attract passing herons looking for a mate, and it can train fish not be afraid of a heron shape.

An owl, snake, crocodile, or other predator replica is probably a better choice. Floating crocodile and hippopotamus heads are available that drift around and look very realistic. If you feed songbirds, remember that some of these scarecrows, particularly owls and snakes, will frighten them away as well.

Train Your Fish to Avoid Fishing Birds

Feed the fish daily at the same time, so they associate a human shape at a particular time with food. At other times, frighten them with a heron shape. They’ll learn not to rise to the surface except at feeding time.

Provide Pond Fish with Shelter

Giving fish a place to hide helps them avoid being eaten. Floating plants, overhanging rocks, underwater caves built with rocks, and submerged drainage pipe all provide shelter. A fish refuge—a submerged cage that fish can get into but predators can’t penetrate—is another possibility.

Physical Barriers to Keep Birds Out of Ponds

Herons typically walk into water, so a strand of fishing line around the pond, or across points of easy access, can discourage a heron. Place the taut line at a height of 12 to 15 cm (5 to 6 inches). Lengths of fishing line crisscrossing the pond can discourage birds like kingfishers from diving.

If fishing line doesn’t work, covering the pond with a net is an extreme but effective method as long as predators cannot get in around the edges. One might do this temporarily, until the pest bird becomes discouraged and goes off to fish elsewhere, or at certain times of day when the bird tends to visit.

Scare Tactics to Frighten Away Pond Predators

There are various motion detectors available that emit loud noises, activate bright lights, or spray water to frighten unwelcome birds and other animals in gardens. An upright motion-detecting sprinkler is perhaps the best option: it won’t offend the neighbors, it waters the lawn, and it has the potential to scare off stray cats, dogs, and wild animals, as well as fishing birds.

Outwitting Birds That Steal Pond Fish

Birds that stalk your pond are intelligent, skilled hunters. They'll eventually devise a way around almost everything you do to outwit them. If they win the game of wits and clean out your pond, wait to restock —with any luck the predators will get tired of waiting and look elsewhere for food.

Whatever you do, take care not to harm the birds.

Read About other Pest Birds

Sources:

Practical Water Garden Solutions

How to Stop Pond Predators Drs. Foster and Smith

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

The copyright of the article When Birds Take Garden Pond Fish in Birds is owned by Rosemary Drisdelle. Permission to republish When Birds Take Garden Pond Fish in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Herons Take Pond Fish

A Heron With a Catch From the Pond

A Heron Stalking Garden Pond Fish

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Comments

Jul 28, 2009 4:43 PM

Guest :

Berry netting has worked wonders for years at keeping osprey out of my pond. The other day, I noticed that the fish were 'spooked' and would not come to the surface, only at feeding time. When they did, they would grab a bite and dive right back under. A few minutes later I watched in horror as an osprey dove onto the netting. He actually broken through the netting. He did not appear hurt, but he flew off in dismay, without a fish! I'm going to put another layer of netting over the pond as my fish are about 12-15 years old. I learned this from the audubon society. Birds can see the netting's grid pattern and perceive danger. Although this article addresses birds of prey, last year we had a mink or fisher - were're not sure exactly what it was terrorizing our pond. We finally got rid of it. I urge anyone reading this, don't harm the birds. They are doing what nature dictates, feeding to survive. The netting really does work. I got it on a large role from Home Depot (nylon berry netting) for about $20.00. I'm inclined to think that the osprey that hit our netting and tore it was either very old or despeate for food. Here in CT there are osprey platforms along our shoreline; a place for these majestic birds to live and raise their brood. The netting is a necessity in this area. I also encourage the use of waterlilies. Your pond should be 1/2 to 3/4 covered with vegetation. This helps protect the fish further by providig adequate shelter, and purify the water at the same time.

Sep 5, 2009 11:21 AM

Guest :

I spotted a heron in my pond. Ever since he has been coming back because my pond is stocked with approximately 21 goldfishes. We bought one of those motion sensored spray ($100) and installed it. If anyone came close to the pond, the motion sensor would pick up the movement and shoot a burst of water. The other morning, my husband noticed that the heron had come back, was wading in the water and did not care the least about being sprayed by the water. We scared it off, but it has been coming back relentlessly. I just installed a net over the pond, but every time the heron comes back, he spots us inside the house and takes off. I want to see what the heron will do when he notices the net.

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