While it is of little comfort to those at the receiving end of a surprise attack, such events are actually quite rare when one considers the number of magpies across Australia, and the fact that they love to share our urban habitat with us. if (typeof siteads.queue !== 'undefined') { But just because something is scary doesn't mean you should believe everything you hear. Australia's Magpie Swooping Map 2020! Nearly all swooping magpies are male - That figures! Many gardeners consider magpies a nuisance, especially when the birds eat garden fruits and vegetables, or when they become aggressive during the summer in an attempt to ⦠1 decade ago Does wearing cable ties and/or drawing eyes on your helmet stop magpies swooping when cycling? A swoop can catch you unawares and, occasionally, magpie swoops can even cause injury. Helmets with cable ties, or a flag on your bike, can also help deter magpies. The speed of cyclists also appears to be a factor, as more often than not, dismounting and walking slowly will stop the swoop-nado. How do you know where these overly zealous helicopter parents reside? You can also try wearing your sunglasses on the back of your head, or drawing or sewing eyes onto the back of a hat. }. What to do if a Magpie is Swooping on Your Route. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Australia's social website to track aggressive swooping magpies in your area. Given that magpies have long memories, a few judicious offerings of mince or similar tidbits throughout the year can help you befriend them, making them much more amenable to your presence come spring. They enjoy sunbathing, play-fighting, frolicking in sprinklers, and swinging on washing lines. Highly adaptive and socially intelligent. Chris Jager is the former editor of Lifehacker, who specialised in technology and streaming. Unfortunate posties, travelling the same route each day and meeting the same magpies, seem to end up on the naughty list through no fault of their own. They also help protect other smaller songbirds that live alongside them. “Over 25 years, there has never been a boring moment with magpies,” says Kaplan. So if you frequent an area enough, they may recognise you as the friendly neighbourhood human and won’t swoop. What can we do to avoid ending up on the receiving end? It has resulted in injuries and, tragically this week, the death of a 76-year-old cyclist in Wollongong. siteads.queue.push( {"site":"lifehacker","pagetype":"article","ad_type":"article","sec":"life","amp":false,"ctype":"article","article":"how to survive magpie swooping season 2","article-tags":["angry birds","au","birds","magpies","science"],"native":["null"],"aggregate":["angry birds","au","birds","magpies","science"],"pageID":["null"],"sub-sec":"","cat":"life","cat1":"","item":{"objectid":903366,"title":"How To Survive Magpie Swooping Season","text":" Magpie attacks aren't as common as you (and the media) might think. Those ruthless swooping demons are extremely aggressive during this time of year as they defend their nests with gusto around gardens, schoolyards and parks. Cyclists do seem to invoke more extreme reactions than pedestrians, judging by the fact that magpies appear to pursue cyclists farther. Ditto the idea of painting eyes on the back of your helmet or hat. death of a 76-year-old cyclist in Wollongong, Five Myths About Magpies You Need To Stop Believing. An inventor has engineered a series of helmet attachments to test the best ways to stop magpies from swooping. “They still surprise.”, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display, display marked preferences for swooping certain people, magpie populations have been declining along the east coast since 1998. But here are a few tricks to get you through swooping season unscathed - and a few classic tactics that don't work. Every spring in Australia is heralded by reports of","url":"https:\/\/www.lifehacker.com.au\/2019\/09\/how-to-survive-magpie-swooping-season-2\/","img":false,"category":"Life","published_at":1569576626,"updated_at":1569576616,"kind":"article"},"ad_location":"mrec-content-mobile","targeting":{"pos":"2"},"provider":"google-dfp","element_id":"ad-slot_mrec-content-mobile_section-index-1_pos-2"} ); Remember magpies are urban species too, so there is generally no escaping them! Magpie swooping avoidance strategies. They even appear to quardle-oodle-ardle just for the fun of it, like humming in humans. Avoid 'defence zones' by taking alternative routes during the breeding season. Bear that in mind, and we can hopefully reach a détente with our feathered (and occasionally flustered) friends. Spring is the season for blooming flowers, frolicking lambs and… the wild beak-clacking terror of swooping birds? Is any of the advice meted out each year on avoiding attacks actually worthwhile, or backed by evidence? It's officially Spring, which means the return of the dreaded Magpie season. A 76-year-old man from Australia has died in a bicycle crash while trying to escape from a swooping magpie. siteads.queue.push( {"site":"lifehacker","pagetype":"article","ad_type":"article","sec":"life","amp":false,"ctype":"article","article":"how to survive magpie swooping season 2","article-tags":["angry birds","au","birds","magpies","science"],"native":["null"],"aggregate":["angry birds","au","birds","magpies","science"],"pageID":["null"],"sub-sec":"","cat":"life","cat1":"","item":{"objectid":903366,"title":"How To Survive Magpie Swooping Season","text":" Magpie attacks aren't as common as you (and the media) might think. As a stranger in his territory, Mr Magpie may feel the need to swoop (but he’s unlikely to make contact on first plunge). But here are a few tricks to get you through swooping season unscathed - and a few classic tactics that don't work. Every spring in Australia is heralded by reports of","url":"https:\/\/www.lifehacker.com.au\/2019\/09\/how-to-survive-magpie-swooping-season-2\/","img":false,"category":"Life","published_at":1569576626,"updated_at":1569576616,"kind":"article"},"ad_location":"out-of-page-mobile","provider":"google-dfp","element_id":"ad-slot_out-of-page-mobile_section-index-1"} ); The best way to avoid being swooped by a magpie is to change your walking or cycling route. This week, Parliament House officials were forced to install alarms and fake hawks to stop magpies from attacking politicians and staff. And some hold a deep animus against posties on bikes, and reserve their fury solely for them. Instead, Kaplan suggests moving quietly away from the bird’s nest and engaging in calm conversation, while showing your face gives the magpie a chance to remember you. If youâve noticed a magpie is swooping on your walking or cycling route, the best way to avoid being swooped is to change your route. The best way to avoid being swooped is to change your route. The website MagpieAlert! Also, magpies usually go back to the same spot every year, so if there was a swooping danger zone on your route last year, it is likely to be there again this year. With more and more of us choosing to feed our local garden birds, there are more and more pests stumbling upon our patches and making their presence known! Magpie attacks aren't as common as you (and the media) might think. If a magpie swoops while you are cycling, it will probably stop swooping if you get off your bike and walk. However, not all birds swoop to protect their eggs and young during breeding season, so don't be concerned simply because there are magpies or other common swooping birds in the area. US researchers have shown that American crows recognise people who have trapped them to band them, give alarm calls when they next see them, and even pass on that information to untrapped birds who also sound the alarm when they see trappers. }. if (typeof siteads.queue !== 'undefined') { These birds are smart—Kaplan places them in the top 20 most intelligent animals in the world. So, what’s the deal with magpies and bikes? Here are five bogus magpie myths that the nation needs to debunk. “A magpie’s behaviour is far more like a dog’s,” she says. If a magpie swoops while you are cycling, it will probably stop swooping if you get off your bike and walk. For starters, they provide free pest control by munching on bugs. Only one in 20 magpie males will engage in swooping antics while mumma magpie incubates alone. They also have a lot of character. “Birds in these situations simply cannot recognise that many faces and don’t try,” says Jones. Even more astonishingly, some magpies seem to really have it in for particular people, and will preferentially attack them. If you must enter a âdefence zoneâ, magpies will be less likely to swoop if they are watched constantly, or if people walk in a close group. Male magpies are adapted to drive away potential predators, and are especially when the chicks are vulnerable nestlings. MagpieAlert! In practice, however, swooping magpies can be dangerous, according to Professor Darryl Jones, a behavioural ecologist at Griffith University. Now you can get the top stories from Lifehacker delivered to your inbox. So is it legal to kill one of these angry birds before it pecks an eye out? Magpies only swoop within 50 metres of their nests so stay away from known magpie nesting areas. I don't want to put those cable ties on my helmet because I'd look like a bit of a douche, and right now I'm drawing lots of eyes to stick on my helmet. To keep safe from swooping Australian magpies, avoid walking or biking through magpie nesting areas since magpies are more likely to swoop to protect their territory. If a magpie swoops while you are cycling, it will probably stop swooping if you get off your bike and walk. Springtime is baby time, which means it’s also protect-your-chick time for magpie mums and dads across Australia. But here are a few tricks to get you through swooping season unscathed – and a few classic tactics that don’t work. But donât overfeed them â itâs just a friendly bribe, not a full-blown dependency. After all, we still have lots to discover about these super-smart songbirds. There's national crowd-sourced map Magpie Alert showing you ⦠Avoid âdefence zonesâ by taking alternative routes during the breeding season. A bike rider has died while trying to avoid a bird in Wollongong on Sunday, as Australia moves into prime swooping season. Australia's Magpie Swooping Map 2020! “With friendship in humans, you don’t need to feed your friends all the time, you have them over for dinner occasionally. Helmets obscure a person’s face, meaning the magpie can’t determine whether the rider is friend or foe. Magpies are less likely to swoop if you look directly at them. If you become aware of swooping attacks in a certain area the best thing is to avoid it â even just crossing the road should be sufficient. It's at this time of year that cyclists of all persuasions take on a slightly unhealthy pallour, and get a bit wild around the eyes at the prospect of solo rides: magpies are unabashed cowards and will rarely attack a large ⦠“There are important reasons for accepting that magpies actually are aggressive—for very sensible reasons such as keeping threats away from their precious nestlings—and they most certainly can be extremely dangerous. 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