It’s not an uncommon experience to be walking or cycling in Young, when suddenly a black-and-white shadow swoops down on you, sending you ducking for cover.
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While these experiences can be scary, Backyard Buddies wants to let you know it isn’t all black and white.
Backyard Buddies is a free program run by Australia’s Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.
“It can be very scary getting swooped by a magpie, especially for children,” Susanna Bradshaw, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, said.
“But there are a lot of things you can do to avoid getting swooped, by understanding why magpies behave the way they do.
“It’s important to remember that not all magpies swoop. Female magpies don’t swoop at all as they are busy tending to their chicks and only some males do.”
Ms Bradshaw said it is estimated that only nine per cent of magpies swoop.
“The male magpies that do the swooping, believe they are protecting their offspring,” Ms Bradshaw said.
“They will only swoop for about six weeks of the year.
“The most common targets for magpies are people riding bicycles, young children and males, although each magpie will usually have its own target.
“These birds are very intelligent and will often approach you from behind or from the direction of the sun to try and catch you unaware.”
But Ms Bradshaw said the worst thing a person can do when a magpie is swooping is to try and fight back.
“Throwing rocks or sticks at a magpie will only further aggravate it and encourage it to swoop more, as it shows the magpie that you really are a threat to its babies,” she said.
“Magpies are a protected native species, so harming them can lead to penalties and fines.
“Each magpie tends to have a specific person in mind to target, such as cyclists or young boys. There is a method to this madness as scientists believe magpies swoop people who look like someone who bothered them in the past.
“All the more reason to never aggravate or attack a magpie as it will remember what you look like and attack anyone who looks similar to you!”
It’s also not encouraged to feed magpies in an attempt to help them lose their fear of humans and prevent swooping.
“Unfortunately there is no evidence to support this and instead it can artificially grow their populations, make them sick from unsuitable foods, and reliant on us,” Ms Bradshaw said.
“There have even been recent reports of magpies stealing food from people’s hands and mouths. This is a learned behaviour caused by people feeding them. Without human interference, magpies are naturally shy.”
Ms Bradshaw said the best thing to do is avoid locations where you know there is a magpie swooping.
People can alter their walking or biking route away from where magpies are nesting.
“They tend to nest in the same spots each year, so remember where your local, aggressive magpie is so you can avoid him next year as well,” Ms Bradshaw said.
There are some tips to try to deter a swooping magpie but Ms Bradshaw said to keep in mind each bird is different and what works for one, might not work for another.
Tips for bike riders during magpie swooping season:
* Hop off your bike and walk past a magpie’s nest.
* Change your route if possible.
* Attach a flag to the back of your bike which is higher than your head level.
* Stick a pair of printable eyes on the back of your helmet. (If the magpie has seen this before, it may not deter it, as they can learn the difference between real and fake eyes).
* Fasten plastic cable ties echidna-style to your helmet to try and prevent them from getting at your head.
