Bubo farmicus

Ah yes...the not so elusive Great Horned Owl Decoy. This bird can be found perched on rooftops, deterring would-be loafing pigeons--or, as we see here, plopped at the edge of lettuce beds in an effort to intimidate the prevalent and opportunistic California Quail. To no avail unfortunately, as this plastic bird does not appear to phase the quail. Menacing though he is, they run out and start munching on the young lettuce heads without reservation.

What has proven effective however is covering the beds with Remay, a sort of fabric specifically designed to protect crops from fluctuations in temperature and other natural elements, including wind, insect pests, and of course hungry birds. Another approach is to stake in metal posts around the edges of the fields and stretch bird netting across them, creating a fence over which the quail simply will not attempt to fly. In a similar vein, the beds need only be covered up to the first 20 feet or so, because the quail will only venture a certain distance from cover before becoming too nervous and retreating back into whatever hedge they had been skulking in.