Will a Plastic Owl Scare a Pigeon?

Termed as a hoax and the greatest joke in the pest control industry, plastic owls are not used to scare pigeons away. However, some people still proclaim that they are useful because pigeons are scared of real owls. Therefore, putting plastic owls on your rooftops would replicate the presence of an actual owl, and the pigeon would fly away. Although the theory seems promising, however, there are a few loopholes in this. 

The effectiveness of Plastic Owls

People seem to forget that pigeons are smart birds. They assess their environment well and would make their move slowly. That's why they are the only birds that are found in abundance in populated areas. Therefore, even if you place a plastic owl on your porch, chances are the birds will get cautious for a few days. However, once they observe that these owls aren't real, they'll come flying to the same place again without any hesitation. No matter how realistic the plastic owl seems, the truth is that it'll stay in the same place and won't move around. This ensures that pigeon that this isn't a real predator and there is no reason to be scared of this. 

Modern Plastic Owls

Some manufacturers have enhanced the features of the plastic owls by making them mechanically move around. They try to replicate the movements of a real owl. However, they can only perform certain movements. The plastic owl won't fly from one porch to another which implies to the pigeon that something is fishy here. The pigeon would still make its way onto your porch. The best case scenario would be that the pigeon won't sit on the owl itself. But is this what you want? 

How to solve the pigeon problem? 

Plastic owls are merely a cheap way out of the pigeon problem. Cheap doesn't equal success mostly therefore instead of doing this way; you need to act smart and adopt other removal techniques. The best way is to try to make the area hostile to the pigeons. Trying to catch or kill them is simply a waste of time, money and energy. You should deploy smart strategies to keep the birds away and removing the food source from the area is the first step for that. 

If you own a building for rent, it's not recommended that you place plastic owls on the ceilings and try to market it. The residents would still have to face the pigeon epidemic, and you'll be left with angry customers. Therefore, either uses real exclusion techniques for pigeon removal or call the professionals. They'll charge you for the removal service. However, they'll make sure the task is done in the right manner.



Also read our other bird tip: What Is Pigeon Needle Strip And How Do We Use It?