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Pigeon spikes vs a fake owl

Updated: 23 October 2026

The owl looked like the kinder buy. The mess eased for a few days, then the pigeons were back on the rail as if the plastic bird were furniture. Pigeon spikes vs a fake owl is that week, repeated across amazon.co.uk reviews. This page uses the listings in the [pigeon deterrent comparison](/hub/pest-control/pigeon-deterrent), with prices from 19 October 2026. It is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Which spike pack to order is on the best page. This page only sets the condition.

The owl looked like the kinder buy. The mess eased for a few days, then the pigeons were back on the rail as if the plastic bird were furniture.

Our top picks

Remiawy Remiawy stainless pigeon spikes

Best overall

Remiawy Remiawy stainless pigeon spikes
9.1/10about £7.78
View offer
Apluskis Apluskis plastic bird spikes

Best value

Apluskis Apluskis plastic bird spikes
8.6/10about £17.85
View offer
The Big Cheese Big Cheese wind-action owl

Alternative

The Big Cheese Big Cheese wind-action owl
6.3/10about £12.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What happens after the first week
  2. 2.When spikes are the right side of the choice
  3. 3.When a decoy is still worth a try
  4. 4.The recommendation with a condition

What happens after the first week

A decoy asks the pigeon to stay frightened. A spike asks it to find another perch. The British Pest Control Association says visual and audio scaring does not tend to last, and that nets and spikes stop the perching. The Big Cheese owl, STV965, is £12.99 and rated 3.5 from 3,903 reviews. Reviews include heads that barely move, birds beside it within minutes, and other birds that left after days. The flying falcon is £17.01 with 3.3 from 1,387 reviews, and some buyers had birds back after about a week.

When spikes are the right side of the choice

Spikes are the right buy when you can point at the perch: a sill, a gate cap, a handrail or a garage front. Remiawy is about 1.2 m of stainless at £7.78, rated 4.4 from 1,714 reviews. Apluskis claims about 6 m of plastic at £17.85. Screws are extra on the stainless set, and glue has failed on a butyl roof with the plastic. Which pack is on best pigeon spikes. £12.99 for the owl is not a saving against £7.78 if they must not land. EarlyGrow’s 1.8 cm strips are a fence product, not this ledge row.
Remiawy Remiawy stainless pigeon spikes

Testsieger

Remiawy Remiawy stainless pigeon spikes
9.1/10about £7.78
View offer

When a decoy is still worth a try

A decoy is reasonable on an open lawn or a seedbed when you need days, not a season. Left in one place, the owl becomes a perch with eyes. The Laptony kite is the same class with a 4 m pole, at £38.59 and 3.4 from 1,075 reviews. It works while it flies, then cords wrap and poles break. It needs an open plot, not a balcony rail. Discs are useless in still air. One balcony improved with GWHOLE only when railing spikes were there as well.

The recommendation with a condition

If the bird must not land on a ledge, buy spikes and fit them so the corner is covered and the window still opens. A decoy is only a short scare on open ground. Use both in that order: spikes on the perch, a decoy as a temporary extra. The ISOTRONIC pair’s 2.6 from 6,144 reviews keeps ultrasound out of this versus. On a balcony the choice is spikes or netting, on the pigeon deterrent for a balcony. If you are not sure you have a perch, start with the pigeon deterrent buying guide.

Common questions

Do fake owls work on pigeons?
Sometimes, briefly, on an open area. The Big Cheese owl is £12.99 with 3.5 from 3,903 reviews. Some buyers saw pigeons leave after days. Others had birds beside it within minutes, and many say the head does not turn. The British Pest Control Association expects that fade. A fake owl is a trial, not a clear sill.
When are spikes the better buy?
When you can name the perch: a sill, a rail, a gate or a garage front. Remiawy at £7.78 covers about 1.2 m in stainless. Apluskis at £17.85 claims about 6 m in plastic. Both block feet. They are the better buy for that ledge, and the stainless set costs less than the owl.
When is a decoy still reasonable?
When the problem is a lawn or a seedbed, you can move the decoy, and a few days of relief is enough. Ballast the owl or put it on a pole. Hang the falcon where the wind reaches it and check the string after winds around 15 to 20 mph. Do not make a decoy the plan for a balcony rail.
Does a rotating head fix habituation?
It delays it, at best. STV965 claims a wind-turned head, and reviews often say the head barely moves. Even a turning head is one object in one place. Moving the owl postpones the day pigeons ignore it. A spike row does not need the head to keep turning.
Is a hawk kite different from an owl?
It is the same scare class with more hardware. Laptony includes a 4 m pole at £38.59 and is rated 3.4 from 1,075 reviews. It only works while it flies. Cords wrap, and sails fail. Use it on an open plot, clear of glass. It is a poor fit for a small garden and no fit for a ledge.
Are spikes cruel compared with a decoy?
A decoy that birds ignore is not a welfare fix, and a needle where people fall is a bad product. Natural Resources Wales specifies square-cut tips. The RSPCA accepts an uncomfortable perch and rejects impalement. Fitted that way, after a nest check, spikes are a non-lethal barrier of the kind GOV.UK already lists.
Can I use both?
Yes, with the jobs kept apart. Spikes on the rail or sill, and a decoy or discs only as a short extra beside a finished row or on open ground. One GWHOLE review needed the railing spikes as well. An owl will not plug a gap in the strip, and it will not replace a net over a recess.

Related pages

Pigeon deterrent

Pigeon deterrent for a balcony: rail, sill or void

Best pigeon spikes: top pick and best-value length

Pigeon deterrent buying guide: which method fits you

How to fit pigeon spikes without a gap along the run

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured for these twelve listings. Last checked 19 October 2026.

  1. WML-GL41 (England, 2026) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. WML-GL42 (England, 2026) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK non-lethal methods (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. WML-GU01 legal methods (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. RSPCA pigeons in the garden (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Historic England bird deterrents (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. NatureScot GL03/2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Natural Resources Wales deterring birds (retrieved 19 October 2026)