Expert shares tips on how to avoid terrifying magpie attacks during swooping season
Most Australians are no doubt familiar with the dreaded sound of flapping wings right before a nasty peck to the head while unknowingly walking by a magpie nest.
Most Australians are no doubt familiar with the dreaded sound of flapping wings right before a nasty peck to the head while unknowingly walking by a magpie nest.
There have been more than 980 magpie attacks reported to Magpie Alert in 2024 as of Monday, as well as more than 100 injuries.
With swooping season under way, Bird Life Australia national public affairs manager Sean Dooley revealed that hed been swooped many times despite being a bird expert.
Im out birdwatching a lot in spring. I probably went 20 years without being swooped once, but four or five years ago I got whacked a couple times, it can happen to all of us, Mr Dooley said.
He said being swooped was genuinely terrifying at times and can result in some terrible injuries; however, understanding the behaviour of magpies is a great first step towards avoiding being attacked.
Its very easy to think these birds have just gone crazy and they hate everybody, but we know from all the research in almost 100 per of cases its only the male magpies that swoop, he said.
Even then its only about 10 per cent that swoop...and its only in that window when there are baby chicks in the nest.
Mr Dooley said negative experiences with people shaped magpies perceptions, with the birds able to remember up to 30 faces within their neighbourhood and stereotype people.
Alarming figures have revealed there have been more than 980 magpie attacks reported to Magpie Alert in 2024 as of Monday
(It can) have flow-on effects for other people in the area... magpies will start swooping people who you look like, he said.
Magpies only swoop within 100m of their nest, with Mr Dooley advising people to move quickly and calmly out of the danger zone, emphasising there is no need to panic.
Many injuries reported from magpie swooping stem from peoples reactions, Mr Dooley said, with people crashing their bikes as they panic.
Just walk calmly out of that swooping zone...and the swooping will stop, he advised.
Walk back the way youve come until you can make sure that youre out of the swooping zone. If people know theyre just defending their nest, they know the magpie isnt going to keep chasing them.
About the worst thing you can do is panic, run around and scream and try and retaliate.
Bird Life Australia national public affairs manager Sean Dooley (pictured) advised people to stay clear of magpies during swooping zone and urged people not to panic
Mr Dooley said other measures such as eyes or spikes on the back of a helmet could work sometimes but was really hit and miss - excuse the pun.
It can help but its not foolproof, he said.
If you are swooped, it does help if youve got say sunglasses or something that you can put on to protect your eyes just in case.
Best advice is once youre swooped, see where the magpie has gone to... keep an eye on that magpie. It might mean theyre less likely to go again because they know youre watching it... youre more able to avoid it if you can see it coming rather than a stealth attack.
Despite more than 980 swoopings reported this year, the number of weekly swoops compared with the six-year average has dropped by 87 per cent, according to Magpie Alert.
Were not at peak magpie swooping, and cant quite compare to this time last year, but it certainly doesnt seem to be as high as the last couple years, Mr Dooley said.
Despite the number of attacks this year, the number of weekly swoops compared with the six-year average has dropped by 87 per cent (pictured a magpie swooping a bicycle rider)
It may be the weather - and we cant confirm this as yet - but its been a bit of a warmer winter in a lot of areas.
Mr Dooley also said there was a peak in swooping reports in 2021, which could have been because of the pandemic.
It may actually just be because of lockdown, people were out and about in their neighbourhoods a lot more than usual... [That is] settling back down to normal now, he said.
