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Garden owl

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A decoy owl.

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] 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]

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]

Hunting decoys are the early predecessors of garden owls. Both Native Americans, and European 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 the1600s.[17] American owl decoys date back to the 1900's and were made of materials such as balsa wood, paper maché and leather.[18]

References

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  1. ^ Dechillo, Suzanne (November 2, 1986). "OWL DECOYS FACE OFF AGAINST PIGEONS". New York Times. pp. Section WC, Page 11. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  2. ^ Cincinnati, University of. "Do Fake Owls and Other Decoys Work?". Treehugger. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  3. ^ Woodstream, Woodstream. "What Keeps Birds Out of Your Yard". www.perkypet.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  4. ^ "Best Owl Decoys To Scare Birds Away". www.top5-usa.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  5. ^ Dalen. "Natural Enemy Scarecrow® Rotating-Head Owl". Dalen. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  6. ^ "Prowler Owl Deterrent Decoy". www.sportystoolshop.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  7. ^ Dalen. "Natural Enemy Scarecrow® SOL-R Action Owl™". Dalen. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  8. ^ Dalen. "TIGER OWL™ Motion-Sensing Natural Enemy Scarecrow®". Dalen. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  9. ^ Dalen. "BIRD WATCHER™ Hidden Camera Surveillance Owl 360° Vision Sentry Seer". Dalen. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  10. ^ Blackwell, Matthew (2020-09-18). "What Really Scares Birds Away? Expert Bird Control Tips | PMP Blog". Project Multi Pest. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  11. ^ Rensel, Leah J (2012). "The Effects of Owl Decoys and Non-threatening Objects on Bird Feeding Behavior". Digital Commons at Linfield University. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  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. ISSN 0273-8570.
  13. ^ Marsh, Rex. E (1992). "Scarecrows and predator models for frightening birds from specific areas" (PDF). eScholarship. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  14. ^ "How Does a Fake Owl Work to Scare Birds Away?". Sciencing. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  15. ^ "Owl Decoy | Smithsonian American Art Museum". americanart.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  16. ^ "Catching Birds with an Owl Decoy". Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  17. ^ Seamans, Thomas W. (2016). "Bird Dispersal Techniques" (PDF). USDA. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  18. ^ "Folk Art Carved and Painted Owl Decoy, USA, 1900's". 1stDibs.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
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