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How to Get Rid of Kingfisher Birds

Though the kingfisher is beautiful, its squawks at nearby intruding birds can be disturbing to say the least. Those who have pond fish are faced with the possibility of losing their expensive pets to the appetite of this loud bird. There are a number of methods that you can use to encourage the kingfisher family to relocate to a more hospitable area. No one solution will be the cure-all because though its brain is small, the kingfisher is not a stupid bird.

Instructions

- 1
  
  Owls eat all sorts of birds and rodents; the birds know this and stay away from even fake owls.
  
  Hang the ubiquitous fake owl available for sale from major department and home-improvement stores. These are used by businesses to keep pigeons and other pest birds away. Their effectiveness relies less on the design of the fake owl than it does on your diligence. The owl must be moved occasionally to keep the birds guessing. If the owl never moves, eventually the kingfisher will catch on and ignore it.
- 2
  
  First, a music delivery device, then a rearview mirror decoration and now a bird repellent.
  
  Tie a series of used CDs in the area in which the kingfisher is hunting its prey. The highly polished surface of the CD twisting in the wind should disorient the bird and discourage it from hanging around. The string should go through the center hole of the CD and be tied to an overhanging branch.
- 3
  
  It takes only a few instances of smacking into the clear lid of the pond before the kingfisher learns and gives up.
  
  Cover your fish pond with a clear acrylic or plastic "lid" for a few days. Preventing kingfishers from accessing the fish may cause them to move to more friendly territory.
- 4
  
  Block access to their home and the kingfishers will have to leave.
  
  Locate the kingfisher nest site. You can usually find it in a burrowed hole on the side of a pond or river or a hollowed out tree or an abandoned termite mound. Examine the inside of the nest for eggs; use caution as sometimes these nests are invaded by creatures less docile and more dangerous than the kingfisher, like a rattlesnake or water moccasin. Remove any eggs you find and block access to the nest with debris that isn't easily moved. Leave the eggs outside the nest.
- 5
  
  A kingfisher can empty your pond of pet fish quickly.
  
  Kill the kingfisher. Methods up to this one have been less invasive and more considerate than the option of last resort of taking the life of this bird. It's a quandary for the animal lover. Either take the life of one creature you don't want, or allow the creature to take the lives of the creatures you do want. Using an avicide, or bird killer, may end up poisoning more than just the annoying kingfisher; you may end up killing blue jays, hummingbirds and others. A BB gun or 22 rifle will work to rid yourself of this bird.
- 6
  
  Morbid but effective, the strategic placement of a dead kingfisher will repel others.
  
  Locate the body of the dead kingfisher. This piece of advice is a little morbid, but it is a technique used by Japanese fishermen to keep the sea-birds away from their catch of the day. Hang the body of the kingfisher from a tree branch. Birds shy away from areas where they can see bodies of their own kind in plain view.

Animals & Science