LOCALS are being reminded that the Australian Magpie breeding season is imminent in south-west Victoria, and with that they begin to swoop, generally beginning late August or early September, and possibly going through until late October.
Swooping usually occurs when the magpies have young in the nest, or just after the young have fledged when they are at their most vulnerable to predators.
People might assume that when magpies are swooping them or their pets, it is a display of aggression, however, experts state it is a common defence strategy used to deter potential predators which may threaten their young.
Unfortunately for people out walking or cycling, they are an easy target for magpies, however, of the swooping that occurs, only a small percentage of magpies ever make physical contact with someone.
Albeit rather terrifying to be dive bombed by the black and white bird, they mostly only give fright with a near miss and fly straight past.
The swooping can be accompanied by a beak clacking noise they make that can also be disconcerting.
The scientific name for Australian Magpies is cracticus tibicen and they are protected, usually found in areas where there are people, in the city suburbs, regional centres or country towns, so it is best to try and coexist with them.
Magpies spend a lot of time on the ground where they forage for food including insects, worms, spiders, lizards, mice and seeds. They turn over loose material as they search for material to make their nests in trees.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) said people should be aware of magpie swooping areas to avoid and to take extra precautions while the birds are protecting their nests and young.
Cover your head when out walking or cycling, wear a hat or helmet and if possible, carry a stick or umbrella above your head.
One common effective trick is to draw a pair of ‘eyes’ on the back of your hat or helmet as magpies are less likely to swoop if they think they are being watched.
As with all wildlife, do not harass magpies, do not interfere with them or their nest and do not throw stones at them – an act of aggression like that will only increase their fear and exacerbate their swooping behaviour.
An interactive Victorian Swooping Bird Map site on DELWP’s Wildlife page shows locations where people have been swooped, mainly during the annual spring breeding season.
To add a new swoop site, click on the magpie to the right of the “Find Location” bar, and then find and click the location you were swooped on the map at wildlife.vic.gov.au/managing-wildlife/swooping-birds
