Free standing on a flat surface, or fixed down in an exposed spot
Best for
Gardens, orchards, decks, jetties, barns and rooflines
Maintenance
Wash occasionally and check the head still turns
Shipping & returns
Tracked delivery anywhere in Australia. It is free on orders of $99 or more, and a flat $27.50 below that.
If it is not right for you, send it back within 14 days of delivery in resaleable condition and we refund the price you paid, including standard delivery. That is a voluntary policy we offer on top of your legal rights. 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 Australian Consumer Law and the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, return postage included.
Wash the dust off it a couple of times a year, because a grubby owl looks less like an owl. Check the head still turns freely, since that is the only moving part and the only part doing anything.
Head Turns In WindSpring mounted, so it is not a statue
Weatherproof PaintFade and water resistant, indoors or out
Move It WeeklyA decoy that never moves stops working
No ChemicalsNothing to spray, nothing to top up
About this product
A decoy is a first move, not a solution.
A weatherproof plastic owl with a spring mounted head that turns in the wind. It buys you time and attention. Move it, or the birds will simply file it under furniture.
A moulded plastic owl with reflective eyes, a detailed body and a spring mounted head that turns in the wind.
The paint is fade and water resistant, so it is as happy on a roof as it is in a barn.
Set it somewhere visible and somewhere windy, because the head turning is what stops it reading as an ornament.
Move it every week or so. This is the whole trick with any decoy, and it is the step people skip.
It is a first move on a mild problem or a supplement on a serious one. On a ledge with a real pigeon habit, spikes are the answer.
It is worth being straightforward about what a decoy is. It works on a bird's caution rather than on its physiology, and caution wears off. A plastic owl in the same spot for a month is not a predator, it is scenery, and the birds will be sitting on it.
Used the way it is meant to be used it does earn its place. Move it every week, put it where the head will actually catch the wind, and bring it out for the season the birds are a problem rather than leaving it out all year. On a vegetable garden, a jetty or a deck it can be enough on its own.
Where it is not enough is anywhere birds have a strong habit. A roosting ledge, a gutter they nest in every spring, a sign they have used for years: those are barrier problems, and a decoy will not shift them. Spikes, netting or gel are the products for that and this owl is a supplement to them.
One thing we will not tell you is that it works on everything. It has most effect on small and medium birds that have real predators to worry about, less on gulls, and none at all on possums or rats.
Still deciding?
Not sure yet? That is fine.
You cannot always judge a product from a photograph. If it is not right for you, send it back within 14 days of delivery in resaleable condition and we refund the price you paid, including standard delivery. That is on top of your Australian Consumer Law rights if anything arrives faulty.
If it turns up faulty, damaged or not as described, that is on us. The Australian Consumer Law and the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 covers you, and we pay the return postage. Read the full detail on our refunds and returns page, or ask us anything before you order.
On a mild problem in an open space, often yes, for a while. Birds get used to anything that never does anything, which is why moving it is not optional.
How often should I move it?
About weekly. It is the single thing that decides whether it keeps working.
Where should I put it?
Somewhere visible, somewhere windy and slightly above the birds. A post, a roof edge, a fence corner or the end of a jetty.
Why does the head turn?
It is spring mounted, so the wind moves it. Movement is what stops it reading as an ornament.
Is it weatherproof?
Yes. The paint is fade and water resistant and it is intended for outdoor use.
Can I use it indoors?
Yes, in a barn or a shed. It will not turn much without wind, so move it more often.
Will it stop pigeons on a ledge?
Not for long. A pigeon with a roosting habit needs a barrier, which means spikes.
Will it stop gulls?
Less reliably than smaller birds. Gulls are bold and habituate quickly.
Will it protect fruit?
It helps on a small tree, especially with a couple of discs or a run of tape. On a serious crop, net it.
Will it keep possums away?
No. A possum takes no notice of a plastic owl.
What about rats?
No. That is a trapping job.
Do I need to fix it down?
In an exposed spot, yes, or it will end up in the neighbour's garden. A screw through the base or a weight inside works.
Can I put it on a roof?
Yes, if you can secure it and reach it safely to move it. If you cannot move it, it will stop working.
Does it need batteries?
No. There is nothing electrical in it.
Is there a noise?
No. It is entirely visual.
Will birds perch on it?
If you leave it in one place long enough, yes, and that is the clearest signal that it is time to move it.
Can I use more than one?
On a larger site, yes, and vary the positions rather than lining them up.
Does it work at night?
Barely. It is a visual deterrent and most problem birds are not active at night anyway.
How long does the paint last?
It is fade resistant and made for outdoors. We do not publish a figure in years, because the site decides it.
Can I repaint it?
You can, with an exterior paint. Keep the eyes reflective, since they are part of the effect.
Is it lifelike?
It is a good likeness with reflective eyes and detailed markings. It is still plastic, which is why movement matters.
Does it harm anything?
No. There is nothing to touch and nothing to ingest.
Is it safe around pets?
Yes. A dog may take an interest, so put it somewhere out of reach.
Should I buy this or the discs?
Discs cover an area and cost less each. The owl is one focal object. On a garden, many people end up with both.
Should I buy this or spikes?
If the birds are on a ledge and keep coming back, buy the spikes. If they are drifting through a garden, the owl is the right kind of product.
Can I use it on a boat?
Yes, and it is a common use on covers and jetties. Secure it.
Does it come assembled?
Yes, with the head fitted.
How much is delivery?
We dispatch within 2 working days. Delivery then takes up to 7 working days by tracked courier. Delivery is free across Australia on orders of $99 or more, and $27.50 including GST below that. Remote and regional addresses may take longer.
What if I change my mind?
Change your mind? Return it unused in its original packaging within 14 days of delivery; you pay the return postage. If it arrives faulty, damaged or not as described, the Australian Consumer Law covers you and we pay the return postage. Our refunds and returns page has the full detail.
Who do I ask if my question is not here?
Email theteam@buyfactorydirect.com.au and tell us the bird and the site.
The complete guide
Making a decoy work for more than a fortnight
4 min readBuyFactory Direct
Why most plastic owls fail
They get put on a post and left there. Within two or three weeks the birds have watched it not move, not hunt and not react, and it has become an ornament. Some of them will sit on it, which is the clearest possible feedback.
Everything below is about avoiding that.
Move it weekly
This is the whole trick and it takes about a minute. A new position each week keeps the object novel, and novelty is the only thing a decoy has.
Put it where the wind reaches
The head is spring mounted so it turns in a breeze, and that movement is what separates it from a garden gnome. A sheltered corner defeats it. A post, a roof edge, a fence corner or the end of a jetty all work.
Use it for a season, not a year
Bring it out when the problem starts and put it away when the fruit is picked or the birds move on. A decoy that is always present is teaching them something all year.
What it is good at
Open spaces and mild problems. A vegetable garden, a deck, a jetty, a small orchard, a barn. Somewhere birds are passing through and deciding whether to stop, rather than somewhere they have lived for three years.
It is also good in combination. An owl plus a few reflective discs plus some tape gives a bird three different things to be uncertain about, and that lasts longer than any one of them.
What it is not good at
An established roost. Pigeons that have used a parapet for years will not be moved by a plastic owl, and nor will gulls, who are bold and habituate fast. Those need a barrier.
It does nothing at all to possums or rats. No decoy does.
Keeping it looking like an owl
Wash the dust off a couple of times a year, check the head still turns freely, and secure it somewhere exposed so it does not end up in the neighbour's garden.
Fake Owl Decoy sold by BuyFactory Direct at buyfactorydirect.com.au. A moulded plastic owl with
reflective eyes and a SPRING MOUNTED HEAD that rotates in the wind, finished in fade and water
resistant paint for indoor or outdoor use, AUD 66. Used in gardens, orchards, on decks, jetties,
in barns and on rooflines. HONEST LIMITATION stated plainly on the page: a decoy works on a bird's
caution and caution WEARS OFF, so it must be MOVED about weekly and is best used seasonally rather
than left out all year; a decoy left in one spot becomes scenery and birds will perch on it. It
suits mild problems and open spaces, and is a SUPPLEMENT rather than a solution where birds have
an established habit on a ledge, gutter or sign, which are barrier problems solved by spikes,
netting or gel. Most effect on small and medium birds with real predators; less on gulls; none on
possums or rats. No effectiveness percentage is claimed. We dispatch within 2 working days. Delivery then takes up to 7 working days by tracked courier. Delivery is free across Australia on orders of $99 or more, and $27.50 including GST below that.
