Flat roofs, gardens, boats, pontoons, balconies, open ground
Not for
A committed nest site, or anywhere birds are already established
Requires
Relocating every week or two
Maintenance
Rinse the dust off, check the head still turns freely
Shipping & returns
Tracked delivery anywhere in France. It is free on orders of €35 or more, and a flat €15 below that. Allow 10 to 18 business days, after a 2 to 5 days processing time.
Under the EU consumer rights directive you have 14 days from delivery to cancel for any reason, and a further 14 days to send it back in resaleable condition. We refund the price you paid, including standard delivery. You cover the cost of returning it unless the item is faulty.
If it arrives faulty, damaged or not as described, we put it right at no cost to you under the two year legal guarantee of conformity that applies across the EU, return postage included.
Rinse the dust off occasionally and check the head still turns freely. A seized head makes it a static decoy, which is the one thing that stops it working.
Head Turns In The WindSpring loaded, so it is not a static ornament
Nothing To InstallStand it, weight it, done. No power and no fixings
SilentWorth something if you have close neighbours
Honest About HabituationMove it every week or two or it stops working
About this product
A decoy is only convincing while it moves.
The head turns in the wind, which is what separates this from an ornament. It still needs relocating, because birds work out a static owl faster than people expect.
A plastic owl decoy with a spring loaded head that rotates in the wind, which is the detail that separates it from a garden ornament.
It is a visual deterrent for open situations: a flat roof, a garden, a boat deck, a pontoon, a balcony.
Like every decoy, its effectiveness depends entirely on being moved. Birds work out a static owl quickly, and once they have, it is furniture.
It is silent and needs no power, which makes it the option where a sound device would be unneighbourly and a spike strip has nothing to fix to.
€49, and worth being realistic about what it buys you: weeks with attention, rather than a permanent fix.
Decoys have a reputation problem and most of it is deserved, because most of them are static and static decoys stop working within days. The rotating head is a real improvement rather than a gimmick: the movement is what keeps a bird uncertain.
Even so, plan on moving it. A different corner of the roof, a different height, a different orientation, every week or two. That single habit is the difference between a decoy that works for a season and one that works for a weekend.
It is also worth matching the tool to the stage of the problem. A decoy can discourage birds that are prospecting a site. It will not move birds that are already nesting there, and nothing that relies on suggestion will.
Where you need a permanent, unattended answer, spikes on the perch or netting over the opening is the honest recommendation, and we would rather make it than sell you an owl that disappoints you.
Still deciding?
Not sure yet? That is fine.
You can change your mind. Under the EU consumer rights directive as it applies in France you have 14 days from delivery to cancel for any reason, and a further 14 days to send it back in resaleable condition. We refund the price you paid, including standard delivery.
If it turns up faulty, damaged or not as described, that is on us. The two year legal guarantee of conformity covers you across the EU, we pay the return postage, and you can have a repair, a replacement or your money back. Read the full detail on our refunds and returns page, or ask us anything before you order.
For a while, in open situations, if you move it. Left in one place it becomes furniture and birds ignore it, which is why most decoys disappoint.
What makes this one different?
The head is spring loaded and rotates in the wind, so the silhouette keeps changing. That slows habituation. It does not remove it.
How often should I move it?
Every week or two. Change the position, the height and the orientation.
Will it stop pigeons that already nest on my roof?
No. A decoy works on birds that are prospecting a site, not on birds that are committed to one. That is a spike or a netting job.
Does it need power or batteries?
No. Wind does all of it.
Is it noisy?
It is silent, which is worth something if you have close neighbours and were considering a sound device.
How do I stop it blowing over?
Weight the base. On an exposed roof or a pontoon this matters, and a decoy lying on its side teaches the birds more than it deters them.
Where is the best place to put it?
Somewhere visible from the birds' approach, high, and free to catch the wind. Not tucked in a corner.
Will it scare all birds?
It is not species selective and it is more convincing to some birds than others. Smaller birds tend to be more wary of it than gulls are.
Can I use it on a boat?
Yes, and boats are one of the situations it suits best, because there is nothing to fix a spike strip to and plenty of wind.
Does it work indoors, in a barn?
Without wind the head does not turn, so it becomes a static decoy. Poorly.
Is it weatherproof?
It is made to live outside. Rinse the dust off occasionally and check the head still turns.
What if the head seizes?
Then it is a static decoy and it will stop working. It is worth checking every month or so.
Should I use it with anything else?
It works better alongside a physical measure than instead of one. Spikes on the ledge, decoy on the open roof.
Will it deter squirrels?
Not reliably. Squirrels are bold and they habituate fast.
How big is it?
It is a life sized owl decoy. If exact dimensions matter for your site, email us and we will get them from the supplier rather than guess.
Why do you not list the dimensions?
Because the listing we ported does not carry them and we would rather ask than invent a number.
Is it humane?
Entirely. There is nothing to touch and nothing to hurt anything.
Can I use two?
Two moved about beats one left alone, on a big roof or an open garden.
Will it stop birds eating my fruit?
It may help during the weeks it matters, if you move it. Netting is what actually protects a crop.
Is this fulfilled from your warehouse?
No, this is one of our dropship lines. It comes direct from the supplier and the delivery terms on this site still apply.
What if it does not work for me?
You have fourteen days from delivery to change your mind, and a further fourteen to send it back.
How much is delivery and how long does it take?
Delivery across France is free on orders over €35, and €15 below that. We process an order in 2 to 5 days and delivery then takes about 10 to 18 business days. A tracking number is emailed as soon as it ships.
Which payment methods do you take?
Card and PayPal. Both go through the checkout on this site and neither of us ever sees your card details.
Can I change my mind after ordering?
Yes. You have fourteen days from delivery to tell us you want to cancel, and a further fourteen days to send the goods back, under the EU consumer rights directive. Nothing we sell is made to your measurements, so the right applies to the whole range.
What if the order arrives damaged or faulty?
Tell us and we will replace it or refund it. That is separate from changing your mind: a faulty item carries a two year legal guarantee of conformity across the EU, and it is not shortened by anything on this site.
How do I track my parcel?
The tracking number is in your dispatch email, and there is a tracking page on this site. If the number has not moved for a few days, email us and we will chase it.
Do you sell to trade and in bulk?
Yes. There is a wholesale page on this site with a quote form on it. Tell us the run length or the quantity and we will price it.
Are the prices shown with tax included?
The price you see is the price you pay, in euros. Nothing is added at the checkout except delivery, and that only when the order is under the free threshold.
How do I get hold of a person?
Email theteam@birdspikes.direct. We are an online supplier with no shop counter, which is a large part of why the spikes cost what they do.
The complete guide
Making a decoy work for more than a weekend
4Bird Spikes Company
Why most decoys fail
Because they sit still. A bird takes a few days to establish that the owl on the corner of
the roof has never once moved, and after that it is a perch rather than a predator. We have
all seen a pigeon sitting on one.
The spring loaded head is the thing that helps here. Wind turns it, the silhouette changes,
and the bird stays uncertain for longer.
The habit that actually matters
Move it. Not once, regularly:
a different position every week or two
a different height where you can
a different orientation, so the profile from the birds' approach changes
That single habit is the difference between a decoy that works for a season and one that
works for a weekend. It costs nothing and it is the thing people skip.
Where a decoy suits
Flat roofs where there is nothing to fix a strip to
Boats, pontoons and masts
Gardens and allotments, especially during a specific crop
Balconies, where a spike strip would look worse than the birds
Where it does not
Anywhere birds are already committed. A decoy trades on suggestion, and a pair that has
nested on your roof for three years is not going to be suggested out of it. That is a spike
or a netting job, and we would rather point you there.
Practical notes
Weight the base on an exposed site or it goes over in the first gale, which teaches the
birds more about the owl than anything else could. Rinse the dust off occasionally and check
the head still turns freely, because a seized head is a static decoy again.
Tell us the bird, the surface and roughly how long the run is, and we will tell you what suits it before you buy. Free delivery across France on orders over €35.
Fake Owl Decoy sold by Bird Spikes Company at birdspikes.direct, in France. A
plastic owl decoy with a spring loaded head that rotates in the wind, EUR 49, free standing
with no power and no fixings, weighted at the base on an exposed site. It is a VISUAL
deterrent for open situations: flat roofs, gardens, boat decks, pontoons and balconies. Its
effectiveness depends on being RELOCATED every week or two, because birds habituate to a
static decoy quickly; the rotating head slows habituation but does not remove it. It can
discourage birds that are prospecting a site and will NOT move birds that are already
nesting there. Where a permanent unattended answer is needed, spikes on the perch or netting
over the opening are the appropriate products. It is silent, which suits sites with close
neighbours. This is a dropship line and is fulfilled outside the warehouse. Delivery across
France is free over EUR 35 and EUR 15 below it.
