How scarecrows went from ancient magic to fall horror fodder

Scarecrows do a much better job scaring humans than they do scaring birds. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. For most Americans, scarecrows are synonymous with autumn. They pop up in corn mazes and crop fields at harvest festivals, on hay bales in grocery store displays, and as set dressing or (increasingly) as villains in fall-flavored horror films . But for all their ubiquity, agricultural scientist Rebecca Brown reflects, "I don't think I've ever seen a commercial farm that used a scarecrow with the intent of scaring birds. If they've got one, it's as seasonal decoration."