Scarecrows have existed for centuries and they continue to be very effective to this day. They are placed in the middle of the fields to ward off birds. I was surprised how effective these are for the birds stay away from fields which have the scarecrows. Proves that the birds haven’t evolved that much in terms of intelligence.
While we adore birds in the city, they can be a very deceptive pest in the villages. When the harvest time is near and the crops are ripe, the birds prey on the produce and this can result in a substantial loss. So, what do the farmers do? String together a bunch of hay, dress it with shirt & pant (or saree) and pitchfork it in the middle of the crop.
Here are a couple of scarecrows that I found in a neighboring village.
I particularly love this one with the saree. From far, it looked so realistic that even I wondered what this woman was doing!!
