How to Get Rid of Black Birds Around My Fish Pond

Get rid of blackbirds naturally.

Blackbirds can be unwelcome visitors to your garden. They empty bird feeders and will help themselves to leftover fish food in the pond. It is illegal to kill blackbirds, unlike pigeons, so stop them from coming to your pond with bird-friendly techniques. Getting rid of the blackbirds permanently is a challenge, but you can use a combination of methods to minimize their disturbance.

Things You'll Need

• Fishing net

Instructions

1. Assess the position of your bird table or other feeder. If it is next to the pond, move it to the opposite side of the garden, away from the fish pond. This will encourage the blackbirds to go to the bird table instead of the pond.

2. Stop giving the blackbirds food for at least a week. Get rid of them by removing the incentive to come to the garden in the first place, and hanging out by your fish pond.

3. Stand next to the pond when you feed the fish. The blackbirds will be enticed by the food you give your fish, so get rid of them by acting as a human deterrent. Wave your hands and create noise to shoo them away if they come close.

4. Scoop out leftover fish food from the pond using a fishing net to get rid of blackbirds coming to feed off the food. After you feed the fish, wait until they have eaten and then scoop out the remainder of the food.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid spilling or sprinkling birdseed on the ground around your pond, as black birds will come and peck at it.

• Prevent black birds accessing the seed in the bird feeder by shortening the perch. Smaller birds will be able to nibble at the seed, while larger black birds will not be able to settle on the perch.

References

• Wildbirds: Pest Birds and Unwanted Birds
• Songbird Garden: Getting Rid of Blackbirds
• Foster and Smith Aquatics: Keep Predators Out Of Your Pond