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Herons are majestic and attractive birds that have only one flaw: they're opportunistic predators that would love to feast on your pet Koi. That's why as you take care of your Koi, you must be always on guard, never leaving your pond unattended.
These are deceptive birds: when you first notice them lurking around your garden, they might seem harmless. Standing around 2 to 3 feet tall, they have a very wide wingspan, with a graceful appearance. But don't get fooled by those looks, for what you're looking at are predators on the prowl, ready to snatch and eat your Koi!
When you look at your pond and you've noticed that you're lacking some fish, greater chances is that the heron is the suspect. When you notice some large gaping holes in the sides of your fish, this is an indicator that a heron have attempted to catch your fish, but it just wasn't able to grip it well enough. There are also times when you will find your fish lying on the lawn a few feet away from the pond, which is a result of them being dropped by the heron after being scooped up from the pond.
So, with these facts, there are some helpful measures that you can do to avoid such unwanted incidents. These "detours", however, will only work for a small amount of time.
1) Plastic herons - You buy those fake and plastic herons and place them in your garden. The purpose of this is to prevent the heron from landing on that specific spot. This will work for some parts of the season, but may prove ineffective when the mating season begins, as they may land near the plastic heron when they're looking for their mate.
2) Make some noises - If you catch a heron about to go for your fish, make as much noise as you can and physically frighten it. You can yell at it, cast things at it, or whatever ways that can give a scare to it. Keep in mind that the more frightened it is, ther lesser would it return any time soon in your pond.
3) Alter your routine - You can change your routine always. These birds are really smart enough to detect your presence. Make frequent visits to your pond so as to increase your chance of catching the herons in the act. If you're unable to do it, you can always enlist somebody to visit your pond. Giving permission to older and trustworthy children to visit your pond is another good idea, which can add presence to your pond.
4) Create a hiding spot for your Koi - You can create a hiding spot for your Koi in the pond. You may notice that after a heron attacks a pond, it would seem that the bird has gotten all of its prey, but you'll see that your fish will start to appear from strange hiding places once the scare stops.
In providing a hiding place for your Koi for protection, you'll reduce significantly the amount of fish that the heron will catch (and don't worry if your fish is hiding from you, as they'll know and trust you that you will not do them any kind of harm)!).
5)Do not restock your pond right away - As you take care of your pond, don't restock it right away in an event of an attack from herons. The bird will be forced to search for another feeding ground instead if you would take a little bit of time before you restock your pond.
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