Owl Decoys

There's something laudable about owl decoys, a popular form of pigeon control. Simple genius I suppose, a comic ruse, the scarecrow re-cast.

Most are stationed in shadowy eaves, atop knee braces, or at a gable's peak.

Largely made of molded or inflatable plastic, many are fastened at a base, others are tethered, and sway with the wind.

By all accounts the ploy works, though often only for a time, as even pigeons eventually get wise to an unchanging owl. Accordingly, some homeowners move their great horned helpers around, or employ multiple models (a parliament, as the collective noun goes).

In neighborhoods where home prices are higher, the owls may be high-tech, battery powered models with motion detectors, a swiveling head and lit eyes.

Other home owners favor plastic snakes.

Either way, a pretty green solution.