Keep Safe from Swooping Australian Magpies

Australian magpies are notorious for a habit that can cause injury and distress to humans - swooping. This nasty little habit, done to protect the bird's territory when it feels its nest is threatened during nesting season, can result in skin injuries, eye injuries and sometimes chunks of flesh being removed through contact with claws or beak. Unfortunately, as noted by the Flinders University Research Centre for Injury Studies, people have even died from magpie swooping attacks, such as losing control of a bicycle after a swooping attack to the temple. Hopefully, such a terrible outcome is a very rare instance but even the average swoop is not a fun experience and it is important to take precautions against the possibility by managing our own behaviour, rather than that of the birds.

Steps

1. Be vigilant. Pay attention to nesting areas of magpies. If you see magpie nesting activity occurring in an area where you walk or cycle, it is time to plot a new route for the nesting season. Magpies occur in both urban, country and rural settings, so don't be complacent if you live in Concreteville, you are just as likely to have gum trees in your area that attract nesting magpies.
2. Inform others. Tell the local council of magpie nesting in your area. This will permit the council to leave warning notices out that will alert everyone in the area to take care. In the meantime, make your own temporary sign to help alert others.
3. Never harass magpies. A magpie who has experienced harassment will cease to trust humans. Do not throw rocks or other projectiles at a nest, do not climb a tree and try to remove magpie chicks from the nest and do not provoke the magpies in any way, such as swinging clothes around in the air near them or similar fast-moving and threatening actions. Remember that the magpies are fiercely family protective and will react if they feel the chicks are threatened.
4. Take evasive action. If you find yourself walking or cycling through magpie swooping territory and it is simply too late to back out, take evasive measures to protect yourself:
   • Keep calm. This is the most important thing - do not yell, flap your arms about and run off screaming. This is a panicked reaction and is the worst thing that you can do. Unfortunately, it is something children often do, so train them early to keep calm.
   • Walk quickly but do not run. Be careful, keep your eyes out for magpies and if you are really concerned, place your folded arms above your head to protect your head and eye area.
   • Try to keep your eye on the magpie. Magpies usually swoop from behind and it is known that magpies are much less likely to swoop if they are being watched directly. This means the magpie must be able to see your eyes looking towards him. As you walk away, try to maintain this eye contact. You can also try walking backwards but only if the path is clear or you may injure yourself by tripping over something.
   • If you are on your bicycle or horse, dismount. Bicycles irritate magpies the most and this includes the local postie delivering the mail. The major cause of accidents following a magpie swoop is from a bicycle. Your helmet will protect you and you will not be distracted while riding by a bird swooping in your face. Walk the bike quickly out of the vicinity of the magpie.
5. Do not return after an encounter. Australian magpies have an incredible memory (as with all members of the Corvid family, they are very intelligent) and will attack the same people again and again. It is also too bad if you happen to look like someone they attacked before...
6. Improvise solutions. If you have no choice but to continue using the magpie's area (for example, farmers rarely have a choice to leave an area alone for 6 weeks), then it is time to use some techniques to protect yourself. Some suggestions include:
   • Wear eyes in the back of your head. No, this is not a joke! For the reason provided above, it is following the reasoning that magpies are less likely to attack if you are looking at them. To this end, add fake eyes to your headgear to make the magpie think you are watching it from either side of your head. Craft store bought eyes are ideal - stick them on and remove them when not needed. Another trick is to wear your sunglasses back to front.
   • If you are riding a bike the helmet can be used to mount a number of bright zip-ties. By not cutting the excess length you create a bright distracting display that many people find more effective than fake eyes, or use them in combination with fake eyes.
   • Convert an ice cream container into a hat. Staple some elastic to the sides to make a chinstrap and pop it on your head. If the magpie swoops, it hits plastic and does less damage (hopefully none).
   • Wear a solid hat.
   • Use an umbrella or stick. If you have an umbrella, open it up and walk with it. The added bonus is that it keeps off the sun too! If you have a stick, simply hold it up to make yourself look larger. If the magpie attacks, it will likely go for the highest point - your stick or umbrella. Under no circumstances should you wave objects at the magpie or he may feel provoked and will attack you. A branch with leaves can be good as the movement of the leaves in the wind might be discouraging to the would-be swooper.
7. Attach a steel nut to the end of a piece of string. Swing it above your head. You look like a helicopter wannabe but the magpie doesn't want to get caught in that action!
   • Be unpredictable. Magpies can tell the time if you are regular. Be irregular and don't follow a routine. That way, the magpie is less likely to be ready for you.
8. Be aware that very aggressive magpies can attack from the ground, aiming for the face and eyes. These are problem birds and you should alert the Parks or Environment Department in your State or Territory immediately. If you encounter a bird in this situation, cover and protect your eyes no matter what else and move yourself out of the situation.
9. Have a heart. These birds are highly intelligent and family-loving. Their birdsong is uplifting and this is not even mentioning how elegant a bird they are. Sure, swooping can be a bother for 4 to 6 weeks of your life each year but it is a small price to pay for helping to sustain a beautiful part of the Australian wildlife. Co-existing with magpies is easy to do once you understand how and when you are prepared. It is only a small proportion of magpies who see humans as a threat and resort to swooping and even then, only within a limited territorial area.
10. Start an online magpie database for your area. Cyclists, horse riders, joggers and pedestrians could all benefit from an online magpie database that services your area. You could even make it a wiki! Leave times, places and incident reports to alert others to be prudent.

Tips

• Nesting season varies depending on where you are located in Australia. While the season can be around July - November, the worst period tends to be August to November (springtime) and usually lasts 4 - 6 weeks while the chicks are in the nest. For the rest of the year, magpies and humans happily co-exist.
• Australian magpies live in family groups. These groups can be as much as 3 to 20 birds. Moving the aggressive male from the area will generally only result in another male taking over the role and defending the chicks, even though they are not his own! You have to love a bird with such close family ties.
• Teaching children to understand and respect the magpie will go a long way to helping them keep calm if attacked by a magpie. A good website to start with is that of the Australian Museum; the link is provided below.
• Want to hear the sound of this glorious bird? Australians love this sound, it is so intimately wrapped in the daily background sounds; click here to hear it (government department source).
• Only male magpies attack and interestingly, they attack more men than women (Scribbly Gum states that over an Australian's lifetime, it has been reported that 90% of males and 72% of females have been swooped by a Maggie. Of the females swooped, 60% to 75% were believed to have more or less masculine features).
• Magpies are found in New South Wales, Victoria, eastern South Australia, southwest Western Australia,Tasmania and the coastal ranges of Queensland.
• Magpies are also found throughout most of New Zealand, where they were introduced in the 1860s and are now considered an invasive species.

Warnings

• Don't run - this will aggravate the birds; always walk calmly and swiftly.
• If a magpie is a source of great concern to the neighbourhood, contact the council or the police or the National Parks Service for your State or Territory.
• It is illegal to kill magpies in Australia as they are a protected native species.

Things You'll Need

• Hat
• Googly eyes
• Ice cream container
• Plastic ties

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