Top Owl Decoys – Guide & Comparison
If your place is often visited by pests and birds, you’re interested in finding a way to repel them without harming them, and you’re thus on the lookout for the best owl decoys, this paragraph might be of help. The many products available in this line might turn your shopping session into a time-consuming one, so we have taken a closer look at popular and effective owl decoys and selected the ones we think are worth considering. The first option would be the Dalen OW6 Natural Enemy Scarecrow Horned Owl as it was built with great attention to details for superior realism and, thus, effectiveness in keeping unwanted visitors at bay. The product is 16″ tall, which means it is visible enough to deter birds and pests from accessing your property. It is easy to install, and since it is a chemical-free pest control solution, it is also a humane alternative. If this product is currently out of stock or unavailable in your area, another reliable option is the Bird Blinder Scarecrow Fake Owl Decoy.
Comparison table
1st Choice
Featuring a hand-painted design that renders its appearance realistic, this owl decoy is easy to install and is a humane solution to your pest problem as it does not hurt the pests it deters. The bottom can be filled with sand or gravel for stability, and the unit can be placed in a variety of areas.
Since the unit is lightweight, it is best to fill the bottom with sand even if it is not too windy in your area.
If you’re on the lookout for a humane pest control solution, this owl decoy is worth a try as it is realistically designed and easy to install. It also makes for a nice addition to your garden decor.
2nd Best
If rodents, birds, and other destructive pests tend to visit your property quite often, this owl decoy is worth trying as it was designed to repel them without harming them. The product is hand-painted and features life-like details, which adds to its effectiveness. It is also easy to install.
Given the product’s dimensions, the unit might not be visible from a distance, an aspect you might want to consider.
Designed to keep a variety of pests away, including raccoons, rabbits, and pigeons, this owl decoy is easy to install and has a realistic design. The bottom can be filled with sand or rocks for extra stability.
Also To Consider
With a realistic head-rotating design, this product is meant to deter squirrels, rabbits, and other pests without hurting them. Moreover, the item comes with a wind-controlled mechanism, so the head rotates when the wind blows, and, therefore, no batteries are required.
Make sure you keep an eye on the owl decoy as the head might fall off if the wind gets too strong.
Built with PE plastic and non-fading paint, this realistic head-rotating owl can be installed in various places. Thanks to the hollow bottom that can be filled, it stays in place even if it gets windy.
10 Best Owl Decoys (Updated Reviews) in 2024
The market does not run short when it comes to harmless pest repellents, which means that finding the best owl decoy might take more time than you initially thought. To simplify your decision-making process, we have showcased below some of the most popular items in this category. Take a look to find the one that best meets your needs and budget.
1. Dalen OW6 Natural Enemy Scarecrow Horned Owl
Pests can do a lot of damage to your property if they are not repelled, and Dalen built a product that will help you deter unwanted visitors without harming them. This hand-painted owl is thus meant to act as a visual barrier that will discourage birds and other pests from landing or reaching your property in search of food or a place to nest and perch.
Since it involves no chemical release or trap, this owl decoy is a humane solution to your pest problem, and it can easily be installed in a variety of places. Moreover, it was designed in such a way to allow you to fill it with gravel and rock and thus stay in place even when it gets windy.
What makes this unit stand out is the realistic details that add to its life-like appearance and, therefore, to its effectiveness. Plus, given the beautiful hand painting, this owl decoy will also add charm to your garden.
Pros
If your property has fallen victim to pest birds and other unwanted animals you’d like to deter without harming them, this owl decoy is worth a try as it was built to ensure such benefits.
The great thing about it is that it does not involve any chemicals that could harm the pests or affect the environment, which makes it a humane solution.
The hand-painted unit features realistic details that make it easy for pests and birds to believe it is a real owl, which adds to its effectiveness.
Installing it in the place of interest is nothing complicated as it requires no assembly; just fill it with gravel or rock in case it gets windy in your area, or you have pets as this will keep it in place.
Cons
The unit is light, so it is safe to say that filling it with rock and gravel is always required; otherwise, it will easily get blown away.
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2. Bird Blinder Scarecrow Fake Owl Decoy
Protecting your garden from rodents, birds, and other pests can be done without harm involved if you go for a product like this one from Bird Blinder. This is a fake owl that acts as a visual barrier, and that thus discourages uninvited visitors from advancing or reaching your garden, plants, and other areas or items on your property.
The item is hand-painted, which gives it a realistic look, a feature that is highly important as far as its effectiveness is regarded. The unit measures 10.5 inches in height and can be easily installed wherever pests tend to come more often.
The bottom is hollow so that you can fill it with rock or sand in order to add to its weight and thus keep it down. This is especially helpful if you live in a windy area or if you have pets that could turn it over.
Pros
Easy to install and move from one place to another, this owl decoy is worth adding to your list of options if you want to deter pests from your garden without harming them.
The fake owl is hand-painted and has a realistic look that should help you deter uninvited guests, such as pigeons, woodpeckers, raccoons, and rabbits.
Thanks to its hollow bottom, you can easily add weight to it to keep it in place in case you have pets that could turn it over or if it gets windy in your area.
Since it releases no chemicals and involves no traps, this decoy is a humane pest control solution that you can resort to no matter the season.
Cons
This product has a height of 10.5 inches, which means it is smaller than other items in this category, and can thus be less visible, at least from a distance.
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3. Gardaner Rotating Head No Battery Owl Decoy
This garden protector is not only environmentally-friendly and easy to use and install, but it is also a cute addition to your garden. What sets this unit apart from the rest of the models in this category is that it features a head-rotating design, which adds to its realistic look and effectiveness.
The wind-controlled mechanism makes the head rotate, so no batteries are required for this to happen. This feature and the hand-painted design render this owl decoy realistic and thus effective when it comes to deterring unwanted visitors, such as squirrels, rodents, rabbits, and other similar animals.
The unit features PE plastic, and the paint used will not fade anytime soon, which means that it should provide the pest protection you need for a long time and regardless of the weather conditions. The bottom comes hollow, and thanks to the plug featured, you can easily fill it with sand or rock to stay in place.
Pros
Featuring a head-rotating design and durable construction, this owl decoy should help you deter a variety of pests, such as rodents, rabbits, and squirrels.
The unit comes with a wind-controlled mechanism that will make the head rotate, which gives its life-like look and feel and thus adds to its effectiveness.
The item is hand-painted, and the paint should not fade anytime soon; plus, the PE plastic used for its construction ensures long-lasting effectiveness.
This pest control solution is humane, environmentally friendly, and easy to use as all you have to do is fill its bottom with sand or gravel to hold it in place.
Considering its design and size, the product is easy to install, and you can place it in a variety of areas.
Cons
If the wind gets too strong, the head might fall off, which means that you should check on it from time to time to make sure it is in proper and working condition.
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4. Galashield Fake Owl with Rotating Head
What you get with this owl decoy is not only a realistically-looking owl that will help you deter pests but also a charming decor item for your garden. The unit was built to look and act like an owl and thus features a head-rotating design. To allow the head to rotate, the item comes with a fin that activates this movement when there is wind blowing.
The plastic used to make this fake owl should keep up with extensive use, while the bottom can be filled with sand or rock in order for the unit to stay in place. The item measures 16.5 inches in height and can be easily installed in a variety of places, including ledges, patios, rafters, and rooftops.
The reflective eyes and the details add to its realistic appearance and thus increase the chances of pests being scared away by it.
Pros
Keeping unwanted birds and animals at bay is an effortless task when using this fake owl as all you have to do is to install it in the place of interest and let it do its job.
What makes this product effective is its realistic look and rotating head, which together will create a life-like owl.
The fin featured will activate the head movement whenever the wind blows; no batteries are required, therefore, this is also an environmentally-friendly pest control solution.
If the wind gets quite strong in your area or you have pets around the house, then you can fill the bottom of the unit with sand or gravel to hold it in place.
The owl decoy can be installed in a variety of places ranging from patios to gardens.
Cons
Make sure you move the owl every couple of days or so since, otherwise, the pests might get used to it, and it will thus lose its effectiveness.
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5. DE-BIRD Reflective Bird Repellent 8 Pack
If birds often use your place to feed, perch, and nest, and you’re on the lookout for an effective yet humane solution to deter them, this pack of reflective bird repellents might be of help. The items are easy to use and install, and thanks to their reflective and moving design, they should help you repel unwanted birds with minimal effort on your side.
The pack includes eight owl discs that you can easily hang in windows and the places of interest. What makes these bird deterrents effective is not only the fact that they are reflective, but they will also move when the wind blows, considering their design.
Since no chemical release is involved, this is a humane solution that will help you scare birds away without harming them physically as it happens with other pest control products. Just place them in an area where there are wind and sunlight and let them do their job.
Pros
The pack includes eight reflective owl discs that can be easily installed where birds usually come, which makes this option a budget-friendly one.
The bird deterrents are designed in such a way to use the wind and sunlight to get an animated feel and move, thus keeping the birds away.
They are ready to use, and everything you need is included in the box, so you can install them immediately upon arrival.
Given that you get eight reflectors, you can cover a greater area with them and thus target more places on your property.
Their dimensions allow for easy installation in a variety of places, and since they release no chemicals and don’t harm the pests, they offer a humane pest control solution.
Cons
Even if the product is easy to install, and the box includes eight reflective discs, the item might still fall a bit on the expensive side.
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6. Hausse Solar Powered Fake Owl Decoy
If you’ve tried bird repellents, but none of them seemed to work, and you still want a solution that is humane and won’t harm the pests, this unit from Hausse is an option worth adding to your list, given its design. The flashing eyes and the terrifying sounds produced by this unit set it apart from other items in this line and add to its effectiveness.
Unlike other decoys that don’t move or make sounds, this one will create more than a visual barrier but also a sonic one that will discourage birds from reaching your property. The unit features a motion sensor with an active area of 10 feet, and once you turn your preferred mode on, the unit will activate once a pest or bird enters that area.
Another great thing about it is that it comes with solar panels that will keep it charged and functional. You can easily install it in a variety of places, and it is also available in packs of 2.
Pros
Featuring an innovative design and two repelling modes, this decoy is an option you might want to try before you decide on a product.
The product is equipped with a motion sensor and has an active area of 10 feet, which means that, once the pest enters this area, the unit will turn to flashing eyes or flashing eyes with terrifying sound mode.
What is also great about this unit is that it is coupled with solar panels, so you won’t need batteries to power it, which makes it environmentally-friendly.
Installing it is easy, and the unit can be placed in a variety of places; it is available in packs of 1 or 2.
Cons
To install it in certain places, you need two screws that are not included in the pack, so you will have to buy them separately, which adds to the final price.
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7. Besmon Realistic Eyes & Waterproof Decoy
Squirrels, rabbits, birds, and rodents can damage your plants and make a lot of mess on your property, yet thanks to this humane pest control solution, you can reduce their chances of reaching your property and thus avoid unpleasant outcomes.
The unit has a realistic design with hand-painted details that will make it difficult for pests to tell the difference between a real owl and this decoy. Moreover, thanks to the way it was built and the fin featured on the back of the head, the item will take its realistic appearance once step further as the head moves when the wind blows.
The paint used is waterproof and won’t fade anytime soon, so you can place the item outdoors in a variety of weather conditions. The bottom can be filled with sand in order for the product to stay in place, and the anchor featured makes it easy to fix it.
Pros
With this owl decoy, keeping pests, including birds and rodents, away from your garden is not only easy but also humane as the item does not cause any harm to the pests trying to reach your property.
To deliver superior effectiveness, the unit was hand-painted and features realistic eyes and details as well as a rotating head.
The wind-controlled mechanism will make the head rotate whenever the wind blows, so no batteries are required for it to work.
The material used for its construction should keep up with extended use, whereas the paint is waterproof and non-fading, which means that it will withstand a variety of weather conditions.
Thanks to the anchor featured at the bottom of the unit, you can easily fix the decoy; plus, you can fill the bottom with sand to keep the item in place even when the wind gets strong.
Cons
The head might not rotate if the wind is not really strong; therefore, this feature might not be of too much help in some cases.
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8. Britenway Large Scarecrow Owl Decoy Statue
If you want to take your garden protection one step further but without harming the pests you want to keep away, this scarecrow owl decoy is worth a closer look as it features a true-to-life design to discourage unwanted visitors from reaching your place. The unit is hand-painted with life-like colors and features details, such as a hawk-like beak, that add to its realistic look.
The product measures 16.5 inches in height and can be easily installed in various places, such as your patio, backyard, balcony, and garden. The bottom is hollow and can be filled with rocks or sand to prevent the wind from turning it over.
The unit also comes with two hooks that allow you to hang it on branches for an extra touch of realism. Thanks to the weatherproof and water-resistant construction, the item should serve your needs for a long time.
Pros
Suitable for repelling a variety of pests, this durable unit is easy to use and install, and it features a realistic look.
You can use it to deter pigeons, woodpeckers, doves, crows, rabbits, raccoons, and other such pests; installing it in the place of interest is all you have to do.
The life-like colors, hand-painted design, and hawk-like beak work together to take this decoy extremely close to what a real owl looks like, which results in superior effectiveness.
The bottom is hollow, and thanks to the opening featured, you can easily fill it with rocks and sand to increase its stability.
The unit is weatherproof and water-resistant, so you can place it where you need to regardless of the weather conditions.
Cons
As it might happen with other such items, this unit might fall if the wind is strong, even when the bottom is filled with gravel or sand.
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9. AMILIEe 360-degree Rotating Head Owl Decoy Statue
Featuring a sturdy construction and a realistic design, this owl decoy can be used to discourage a variety of pests from reaching your property, including rodents and birds. What makes this unit so realistic is not only the hand-painted body but also the fact that its head rotates and the unit also creates sounds that will scare away unwanted visitors.
It takes just the wind for the head to rotate, but you do need batteries to activate the sounds. In case you live in an area where the wind gets strong, you can fill the bottom of this unit with gravel or sand for stability and balance.
Thanks to the built-in shadow sensor, the decoy will activate its sound mode once it senses shadow and will scare away the pests that get close to it. In case you want to screw down the unit onto a certain surface, you can do so upon arrival as the pack includes three screws.
Pros
Designed to help you keep rodents and birds away from your garden, this owl decoy is not only effective thanks to its realistic head-rotating design but also easy to use.
Installing it is nothing complicated as all you have to do is place it where pests usually come; the bottom can be filled with sand or gravel for stability.
In case the wind gets strong in your area, and you want to fix the unit with screws, you can do so immediately upon arrival as the screws needed are included in the pack.
The built-in shadow sensor will activate the sound mode to scare away unwanted visitors, while the head rotates once the wind blows.
Cons
The unit requires three AAA batteries to make sounds, and they are not included in the box, so you will have to buy them separately.
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10. YOFIT Solar Bird Scarecrow Fake Horned Owl Decoy
Pests such as rodents and birds can cause damage to your plants and trees and leave quite a mess behind if they are not scared away. Thanks to this scarecrow from Yofit, you can deter such intruders without harming them or using chemicals. The realistically-designed fake owl features eyes that light automatically thanks to the solar panels it comes with.
This means that you don’t need batteries to make it work this way, and installing it is easy. All you have to do is to place it where pests usually come. In case the wind gets strong in your area, you can fix it on a stake by using screws.
Given its design, the unit can scare away squirrels, birds, mice, and other such pests. The unit is solar-powered as we’ve said and does not harm the pests while deterring them, which makes it a wildlife- and eco-friendly solution.
Pros
Using solar power and featuring a realistic design, this owl decoy is worth a try if you want to deter birds, rodents, and other pests from your garden.
What sets this unit apart is the fact that its eyes light up, which adds to its effectiveness, and it requires no batteries to do that as it comes with solar panels.
The bottom features anchors if you want to fix it onto a surface with screws and can also be filled with sand for stability.
Since the product does not use batteries to work, and it involves no chemical release, this is a humane and eco-friendly solution to keep pests away.
The sturdy plastic used for its construction should serve your needs for a long time before replacement is needed.
Cons
The screws needed to fix the unit are not included in the pack, and if you don’t have such items already, you will have to purchase them separately.
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Our Comprehensive Buying Guide
Finding your garden damaged, plants, flowers, and trees included, is something no one wants to experience. Without using pest deterrents, preventing such unpleasant events from happening is impossible. However, using pest repellents doesn’t mean hurting the animals you want to deter or using chemicals that are harmful to pests, humans, and nature.
Thankfully, the market offers a variety of humane pest control solutions, and fake owls are among them. You will find a generous selection of affordable owl decoys, which is good and challenging at the same time since it might turn your decision-making process into a time-consuming one.
To ease your shopping session, here are a few factors to consider when looking for a fake owl to scare away birds.
Materials and design
What makes a decoy owl effective or not is its design. There are many hand-painted garden owl decoy models that come in life-like sizes and with true-to-life colors and dimensions. Whether your budget allows only for a cheap owl decoy or a more expensive model, look for a unit that features a realistic design since such a pest deterrent creates a visual barrier, and in order to do that, it needs to look like the real owl.
A fake owl decoy is built and intended for outdoor use; therefore, the materials used for its construction are of great importance. Many yard owl decoy models are made of plastic or weatherproof and water-resistant materials precisely to withstand various weather conditions.
Plastic owls are usually durable without falling on the expensive side. In fact, many affordable owl decoy models are made of plastic that is chosen based on its capacity to stand the test of time. Consider the quality of the paint used as well since cheap owl decoys tend to come with paint that fades easily.
Installation methods
An owl decoy to scare birds away usually involves no complicated steps when it comes to its installation. Generally, an owl decoy for birds should simply be placed where pests tend to land, nest, or perch. Some scary owl models do come with anchors at the bottom that allow the users to fix them onto the surface of interest.
Plus, since a plastic owl decoy is typically lightweight, the product should feature a hollow bottom that can be filled with sand or gravel for additional stability and balance. This characteristic is important, especially if you live in an area where the wind gets strong or you have pets around the house that could turn it over.
Just make sure the plastic owl you go for features a design that makes it easy for you to fill it if needed. You will also find hanging owl decoy models, which can be installed on branches, for example, for a more realistic appearance. Check if the pack includes the accessories or screws needed to install the unit.
Additional features
If you want to increase your chances of keeping birds and other destructive pests at bay, an owl decoy with moving head might be of interest. A moving owl decoy is usually activated by the wind and thus comes with a fin at the back of its head.
The market also offers motion sensor owls that, depending on the type of sensor featured, activate automatically when they sense motion, shadow, or sounds, for example. Some motion activated owl decoy units have flashing eyes or make terrifying sounds to deter pests. Such a realistic owl decoy should make it easier for you to discourage unwanted visitors from reaching your property.
If you want your choice of pest control to be not only humane to birds and pests but also to the environment, a solar powered owl decoy is an option worth considering. No matter the type of owl scarecrow you go for, reading an owl decoy review is also recommended as you can thus learn more about a certain product’s effectiveness and how it helped other users.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What do fake owls keep away?
Fake owls are used to scare away small birds and mammals that the real winged predators typically eat. The idea behind these pest deterrents is that the prey will recognize the owl and thus be discouraged from advancing toward your property.
The size of the fake owl and where you place it depend on the pests you want to dissuade from reaching your home for nesting or feeding. If small rabbits are your problem, you might want to go for a decoy that resembles the great horned owl and place it down to a rabbit’s eye level.
In case pigeons are the ones troubling you, a similar decoy should work if placed at a higher level where they can see it. Fake owls act as a visual barrier, and they should deter other pests, including crows, sparrows, squirrels, and even mice.
For such items to be effective, it is best to opt for models that move their heads, make sounds, or have flashing eyes. Plus, moving them from one place to another is essential in preventing the pests from learning that the decoy poses no real threat.
Q: Do owls really scare birds away?
The purpose of building and using fake owls is the one behind scarecrows: to create a visual barrier and prevent pests from reaching the area where they are placed. Whether they work or not depends on a variety of factors. Firstly, the owl decoys available for sale come in a variety of sizes and with different features.
While many of them share the same basics, some of them come with additional characteristics, such as a rotating head, flashing eyes, or the capacity of making sounds when activity is sensed.
Using a decoy that resembles the real owl species that usually attack the pests you want to repel and moving it regularly should help you keep unwanted visitors away. The key is to move the owl decoy from one place to another and not leave it in an area for more than a day or two as the pests will become aware of it not being a real threat.
Q: Where should you place an owl decoy?
One of the key factors that contribute to a fake owl’s effectiveness is where you place it. Choosing a place that is close or similar to a real owl’s natural setting adds to a realistic appearance, and, therefore, to its effectiveness. Consider the type of fake owl you buy as well since a solar owl decoy needs to be placed in an area with exposure to the sun.
Usually, the owl should be installed somewhere up as the owl should look down at the pest birds you want to scare off your property. A chimney or tree branch is thus an option you might want to consider. If you use the decoy to deter rabbits, then placing it at the rabbit’s eye level is recommended.
For those of you living in an apartment, a window ledge or the edge of the balcony is probably the only option. Installing it in different places and thus moving it from one area to another will prevent the pests from getting used to it and becoming aware of the fact that it is just a fake owl.
Regardless of the model you want to purchase, checking out a few owl decoy reviews before purchasing can help you learn more about how a certain unit worked for other people.
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