Quand le Roi de la Pop devient épouvantail... WEIRD NEWS

TAIPEI (Reuters) – A Taiwan rice farm is trying an off the wall way to get hungry birds to beat it at harvest time: scarecrows dressed like King of Pop Michael Jackson.

One of the two scarecrows, wooden frames with sponges for faces, wears white sequined gloves, a black fedora hat and black brogues, and the other is decked out in a red "Thriller" jacket and trousers. They are set in the fields in different poses copied from the dead singer's signature dance moves.

They are the idea of 30-year old salesman and Jackson fan Lee Ping-hsing, who is now making a third for his father's farm in Changhua county, central Taiwan.

"During harvest, my dad would go to the fields every day and chase the birds away," Lee said.

"And I thought, since Michael is good at 'grabbing his bird', I'm inviting him to grab ours," he told a visiting local TV crew, who were also treated to a few of Lee's Jackson dance moves.

But not everyone in the family thinks the scarecrow idea is a thriller.

"I was yelled at by my grandfather, who said Jackson's spirit could come and haunt us," Lee said.

"But I think it would be nice if Michael could come over."