Magpie swooping season has arrived. Image: Shane Miller via Victoria Park WA
Spring is here (atchoo!) and we all know what that means.
Country-wide cyclists reach for zip-ties, school kids arm themselves with umbrellas, and magpies look to protect their patch from any threat they can lay their beak on.
So, why do magpies swoop? And what can we do to avoid the swoop of shame? We investigated.
What causes magpie swooping season?
Researchers of a paper published in our Emu Austral Ornithology journal studied three common hypotheses behind magpie-human attacks, particularly in suburban areas. They sought to uncover whether the attacks were triggered by territoriality, brood-defence or (magpie) testosterone.
The study found no support for magpie testosterone levels being correlated with aggression towards humans. But it strongly supported the idea that attacks on humans were brood-defence focused, over any association with the territory. So, brood-defence can be identified as the cause of attacks. But is there anything we can do to stop being swooped?
This young footballer certainly earned his title as a winger.
Avoiding the swoop of shame
Understanding why magpies swoop is one thing but having the power to avoid it is another thing altogether. Here are some swoop safety tips.
Know your swooping hotspots
Keep informed about streets, parks, schools, and trails in your local area by reading local newspapers and online community boards or contacting your local council. Wildlife Victoria even offers a swooping bird map so you can do your research before you hit the streets.
Don’t harass wildlife
Don’t interfere with or throw stones at birds, and don’t harm their nests. Harassing and provoking birds can make them more defensive and may lead to more swooping style attacks. Maybe try forming a magpie friendship instead?
Change your route
If you can’t beat ’em – avoid ’em. Keep track of where swooping birds attack and find an alternate route. Some extra steps for the day and keeping the local wildlife happy? This a win-win!
Protect your head
Less of an avoidance tactic and more of a last-case-scenario. If you get caught in an attack use your noggin to protect your noggin and cover your face and head.
You might be wondering – where’s the advice around the fantastical magpie-avoidant headwear for spring? It’s times like these where we will gladly throw it back to 2010. It was the year our brave researchers in Canberra took science to the streets to test a series of magpie-repelling fashions. Their findings? Less is more.
We can’t endorse the results and we would never advise riding your bike without a helmet. But it quite clearly dispels the myth that elaborate helmet decorations do anything to stop a swooper.
Want to learn more about this quintessential Aussie icon that (September aside) we do actually like? Then check out this great book available through CSIRO Publishing: Australian Magpie – biology and behaviour of an unusual songbird.
19th October 2020 at 4:48 pm
As a cyclist I have been swooped many times , My best defence has been to ignore the swooping and keep pedalling . Had one land on my shoulder one day and had a go at my ear , it drew blood .
19th October 2020 at 2:35 pm
I have never been swooped, touch wood. We have a family who visit in the garden, we talk to them but have decided for their own good not to feed them any more. When I go for my short walks around the block I will sometimes greet any maggies on the ground, and always slow down and walk “gently” past them so as not to alarm them. They all seem quite relaxed about my passing by.
I can’t, of course prove that my attitude protects me, though I fancy it does. Many animals are very sensitive to human intentions and attitudes, and Aussie maggies are smart birds.
2nd October 2020 at 2:11 pm
The top image has been miscredited. It was not taken by a “Victoria Park” from WA.
It was actually from a youtube video posted on 25th September 2018 by Shane Miller of Ballarat Vic.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47dmip4eJtA
2nd October 2020 at 3:28 pm
Thanks for sharing this information. We’ve updated the image credit to reflect this.
Thanks,
Team CSIRO
2nd October 2020 at 8:51 am
Interesting that because the science disagrees with the politics it doesn’t get a mention here. This is the CSIRO where science should come first, even if it is “not endorsed”. The tester said it very clearly “that proves it”. Wearing a helmet encourages the magpie to swoop. Just say it! People are grownups, they can still make their own minds up as to what to do. For more read John Stuart Mill’s Harm Principle.
29th April 2021 at 7:16 am
Interesting. Perhaps we need to adopt toupees for helmets . Lol
1st October 2020 at 7:34 pm
I have a small magpie family (2 pairs plus one female offspring who never left) who live across the road. They regard my small back lawn as their territory. Two years ago I started to give them a little food. I have never been swooped. What intrigues me is that they also accept my elderly cat who pinches their food, but they will see off any other birds (kookas, ravens and others) who come near. I have noticed that the males are more aggressive this time of year, mostly within the family, but not to me. They are a delight.