Scarecrows: Nice Decorations, but Do They Actually Scare Birds ?

This collage was inspired by the template for LMAC's Round #248 Here is that template.

The picture was submitted by me to LIL, some time ago. I remember that day (yes, it's me in the picture, a few years ago). LMAC has a dedicated image library in LIL. This picture is one of thousands anyone on Hive can borrow.

Another picture I submitted to LIL on the same day:

And yet another posted in LIL on the same day.

When I began my collage I wanted to do something that was very different from what the template photo suggested. Hence, the scarecrow. The only elements I kept from the original photo were the hat, the horizon, and the sky.

First thing I did was find a scarecrow on Pixabay.

So, about scarecrows? Do they work? You can see in my collage that at least one crow was not intimidated. I did a little research and learned that a scarecrow is modestly effective at keeping birds (not just crows) away from crops. This pseudo human is most effective if it is changed every few days.

The scarecrow should be moved around. Its clothing should be changed every few days. The figure should be adorned with odd accessories and these should be rotated. Failing this sort of manipulation, birds--especially crows--realize pretty soon that they have nothing to fear from the stationary scarecrow.

Scarecrows are not a modern invention. Ancient Egyptians used a frame covered in nets to achieve that same purpose. Greeks and Romans also had their own version of the scarecrow. In the YouTube video below, the ancient scarecrow that most resembled our modern idea of this figure could be found in Japan.

The Romans are said to have introduced the scarecrow to Europe. According to the website Lancaster Farm Trust:

...men carried scarecrows as a scare tactic. After Europeans caught wind of the practice, scarecrows began to pop up all over the continent. European farmers started to stuff old clothes with straw and top them with gourds. Farmers mounted these mounted on poles through their fields. Additionally, these scarecrows were often affiliated with the boogeyman legend, a supernatural figure used to scare children. So, these scarecrows kept birds and meddling children out of the fields an effective way to kill two birds with one stone (no pun intended).

Scarecrows are said to have come to the New World (North America) by way of immigrant farmers. Before the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans are said to have used a unique form of scarecrow: humans sitting on poles and hollering as birds came to feed.

In more recent times, the scarecrow is a seasonal decoration rather than a tool for farmers. A variety of alternate tools are used to deter birds from feasting on crops and seeds. Some of these are noisy...actual noisemakers. Some are shiny: tape which reflects the sun and can make a sound as it moves in the wind. Working dogs run up and down rows of crops to scare birds. More realistic humanoid figures may be used, or a human being walking around is a great deterrent. However, that's rather labor intensive.

Decoys, such as owl statues, are commonly used. If these are stationary though, the birds wise up and ignore them--as they do the stationary scarecrows. Hanging the decoy so that it sways in the wind works better. Farmers even have tried installing blow up figures that bob about. The bobbing figure is more effective than a stationary decoy.

My Collage
I borrowed from Pixabay and from LIL to construct my collage.

The field, from Pixabay

Pole (For the scarecrow's legs)

Crow

Sun
@muelli
LIL

Blossom
@seckorama
lil

Tractor
@agmoore
LIL

I used only Paint 3D and GIMP to manipulate the image. Extraction and resizing were done in Paint 3D. Highlighting and accenting (sun, crow, for example) were done in Gimp.

LMAC and GIMP

LMAC (Let's Make a Collage) has been part of this platform for years. We have a dedicated team at the helm, and dedicated collagists who participate regularly. We offer prizes (I don't receive a prize because I'm on the jury) on a bi-weekly basis, and also accept freelance collages for curation from anyone, always.

Rules for participation may be found on our announcement.

Have a look around at our community posts. I think you will be surprised by the enthusiasm and talent on display.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Peace and health to all.