Every Halloween, scarecrows become standard lawn decor. Trick-or-treaters might find them frightening, but what about the birds that these effigies are supposed to repel
Every Halloween, scarecrows become standard lawn decor. Trick-or-treaters might find them frightening, but what about the birds that these effigies are supposed to repel
Apparently, some avians dislike them more than others. A series of tests conducted in 1980 found that small ponds near which a scarecrow was planted saw a 95 per cent drop in visits by local ducks. On the other hand, certain species don’t seem to notice them. During the 1930s, wildlife scientist K.R. Lagler sent one scarecrow adrift on a floating buoy at a West Virginia fish hatchery. While most birds steered clear of the thing, he noted that it failed to deter kingfishers.
Let’s forget about bodies of water for a moment. After all, most people associate scarecrows with cornfields rather than ponds or fisheries. So, how good are they at protecting crops Not very — unless you’re willing to put some extra effort into them.
While traditional, motionless scarecrows do work against “pest birds” (e.g. crows and blackbirds), the effect is almost always temporary. Over time, the birds get used to stationary dummies and resume their destructive habits.
However, a few tricks can up your scarecrow’s game. Researchers have learnt that those with realistic facial features and brightly coloured clothes are slightly better at shooing away birds. Also, moving a scarecrow around every few days often helps.
