Gotta Love Aussie Wildlife!

Last week, Kristen was collecting the mail from the mailbox in front of her office when she heard a sudden flapping noise and felt something tugging at her hair. Naturally she shrieked as she turned to see what was going on. Luckily, she created enough commotion to scare off her assailant... a magpie.

For those of you who don’t know what a magpie is, or why a magpie would be attacking Kristen’s head, I think you will find the following article interesting:


Magpies live in urban areas as often as in the bush, and tend not to be afraid of people. Magpies are a familiar sight to most Australians, and their melodic song is widely enjoyed. However, during nesting, if magpies feel threatened by an inadvertent intrusion into their territory, they will often swoop at the intruder and audibly "snap" their beaks in an attempt to drive them away. Magpies generally swoop from behind, and without warning, so attacks can be frightening, particularly to children. For this reason, local authorities sometimes post warning signs during "swooping season", particularly in urban parks. Magpie attacks can cause injuries, typically wounds to the head and eyes. Being unexpectedly swooped while cycling is not uncommon, and can result in loss of control of the bicycle, which may cause injury.


To avoid swooping attacks, the best course of action is to avoid the territory of nesting magpies during the nesting season (between August and October). If it is necessary to walk near the nest, some people opt to wear a bicycle helmet or upturned empty ice-cream container as head protection. Magpies prefer to swoop at the back of the head; therefore, keeping the magpie in sight at all times can discourage the bird. Using a basic disguise to fool the magpie as to where a person is looking (such as painting eyes on a hat, or wearing sunglasses on the back of the head) can also prove effective, as can holding an object above one's head. In some cases, magpies may become extremely aggressive and attack people's faces; it may become very difficult to deter these birds from swooping. Once attacked, shouting aggressively and waving one's arms at the bird should deter a second attack. If a bird presents a serious nuisance the local authorities may arrange for that bird to be legally destroyed, or more commonly, to be caught and relocated to an unpopulated area.


In addition to Kristen’s near-death experience, we have also witnessed many other magpie swoops in the last few weeks. I even saw one determined magpie follow a biker and continually swoop him for several minutes. Also, a magpie swooped Andy last week while we were at the tennis court. Some of the methods people have come up with to deter magpies are hilarious. We have seen people wearing some pretty ridiculous stuff on their heads. I myself have just learned to walk with my racquet ready, not only when I am on the court, but also when I am walking to and from the court.