As folk belief in supernatural protection slowly faded over the centuries, this physical protection slowly became the scarecrow’s main utility. Why scarecrows rarely work for longBirds probably don’t look at scarecrows and think, oh crap, a human! That low cost and tradition explain why some small farmers in resource-poor areas still use scarecrows. “The straw-wicker handmade aesthetic means scarecrows sit very well with the idea of ‘folk,’” adds British folklorist Robert Edgar. “They play on urbanites’ ignorance and angst regarding communities in rural areas,” Leary adds, on the subject of spooky scarecrows.