Magpie swooping season in Canberra: nesting and protecting

Spring is the start of magpie swooping season as they instinctively fend off intruders to their territory to protect their nests during breeding time.

Magpies are medium-sized black and white birds with golden brown eyes. Juveniles (up to about three years of age) have lighter grey feathers, rather than distinctive black and white. Adults are about 37 centimetres (15 inches) in length. They can live up to 25 years of age and usually begin breeding between the ages of three and five years. Most magpies will swoop within 30-50 metres of their nest if they perceive the pedestrian to be a threat. They spend quite a lot of time on the ground and because they have long legs they walk or hop about.

Most of the year, the bird is a popular and curious friend that visits back gardens, parks, and shopping centres. However, when they breed, they often become quite aggressive (especially males). Often they will swoop to warn intruders to stay away – and therefore they don’t strike because the idea is to chase people away. Other times they will strike to attack, leaving the intruder with beak or claw gashes. When they strike, they will come from behind and swoop, hover momentarily, and then strike. They usually attack with their beaks and aim for the scalp, face, or eyes. Magpies will rarely make a sound when they attack – so instead of screeching, you only hear the sound of flapping feathers in a whooshing sound as they skim over your head.

Some precautions for pedestrians and cyclists include: walk quickly (but don’t run); protect your head with an umbrella, hat, or bicycle helmet; wear sunglasses; and attach a flag or streamers to your backpack or bicycle. Waving arms or throwing items at swooping magpies generally only makes them more likely to attack.

Magpies are protected species in Australia, and therefore it is illegal to harm the native birds under the Nature Conservation Act (1980).

Well-known and easily recognizable, the Australian Magpie is unlikely to be confused with any other species. The pied butcherbird has a similar build and plumage, but has white under feathers unlike the magpies’ black under feathers. The magpie-lark is a much smaller and more delicate bird with complex and very different banded black and white plumage. The magpie-lark screeches when it swoops and rarely aims to aggressively attack people. Currawong species have predominantly dark plumage and heavier bills and are much larger than magpies.

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