Garden owl explained

A garden owl is a scarecrow resembling a Horned owl, commonly employed as a method to deter the presence of pests, particularly birds or rodents, in agricultural and urban environments.[1] [2] [3]

Manufacture and design

Modern garden owls are commonly constructed from plastic blow molds. There are many manufactures of Garden Owls.[4] A swiveling head[5] and wind-powered wings[6] are features that are often used to mimic a living owls behavior, and increase the garden owl's ability to deter pests. Many technological updates to the garden owl have been made including solar motors,[7] motion sensors,[8] and hidden cameras.[9]

Effectiveness

The presence of a garden owl may temporarily mitigate pests, but will gradually loose its effectiveness with time. [10] [11] [12] [13] Moving the decoy, adding a sound element, or surrounding the decoy with reflective materials are methods known to increase the longevity of the garden owl's effectiveness.[14]

History

Hunting decoys are the early predecessors of garden owls. Both Native Americans and Europeans used bird decoys in strategic hunting practices.[15] [16] European records show efforts to reducing bird damage to crops though usage of decoys dating back to the 1400s. Books on pest control that mention using decoys were written in the 1600s.[17] American owl decoys date back to the 1900's and were made of materials such as balsa wood, papier-mâché, and leather.[18]

Notes and References

  1. News: Dechillo . Suzanne . November 2, 1986 . OWL DECOYS FACE OFF AGAINST PIGEONS . September 14, 2024 . New York Times . Section WC, Page 11.
  2. Web site: Cincinnati . University of . Do Fake Owls and Other Decoys Work? . 2024-09-14 . Treehugger . en.
  3. Web site: Woodstream . Woodstream . What Keeps Birds Out of Your Yard . 2024-09-14 . www.perkypet.com . en.
  4. Web site: Best Owl Decoys To Scare Birds Away . 2024-09-14 . www.top5-usa.com.
  5. Web site: Dalen . Natural Enemy Scarecrow® Rotating-Head Owl . 2024-09-14 . Dalen . en.
  6. Web site: Prowler Owl Deterrent Decoy . 2024-09-14 . www.sportystoolshop.com . en.
  7. Web site: Dalen . Natural Enemy Scarecrow® SOL-R Action Owl™ . 2024-09-14 . Dalen . en.
  8. Web site: Dalen . TIGER OWL™ Motion-Sensing Natural Enemy Scarecrow® . 2024-09-14 . Dalen . en.
  9. Web site: Dalen . BIRD WATCHER™ Hidden Camera Surveillance Owl 360° Vision Sentry Seer . 2024-09-14 . Dalen . en.
  10. Web site: Blackwell . Matthew . 2020-09-18 . What Really Scares Birds Away? Expert Bird Control Tips PMP Blog . 2024-09-14 . Project Multi Pest . en-GB.
  11. Web site: Rensel . Leah J . 2012 . The Effects of Owl Decoys and Non-threatening Objects on Bird Feeding Behavior . September 14, 2024 . Digital Commons at Linfield University.
  12. Montevecchi . W. A. . MacCarone . A. D. . 1987 . Differential Effects of a Great Horned Owl Decoy on the Behavior of Juvenile and Adult Gray Jays (Efecto de la Presencía de un Señuelo de Bubo virginianus en la Conducta de Adultos y Juveniles de Perisoreus canadensis) . Journal of Field Ornithology . 58 . 2 . 148–151 . 4513214 . 0273-8570.
  13. Web site: Marsh . Rex. E . 1992 . Scarecrows and predator models for frightening birds from specific areas . September 14, 2024 . eScholarship.
  14. Web site: How Does a Fake Owl Work to Scare Birds Away? . 2024-09-14 . Sciencing . en.
  15. Web site: Owl Decoy Smithsonian American Art Museum . 2024-09-14 . americanart.si.edu . en.
  16. Web site: Catching Birds with an Owl Decoy . 2024-09-14 . Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest . en-US.
  17. Web site: Seamans . Thomas W. . 2016 . Bird Dispersal Techniques . September 14, 2024 . USDA.
  18. Web site: Folk Art Carved and Painted Owl Decoy, USA, 1900's . 2024-09-14 . 1stDibs.com . en.

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