Mr Dooley says the one “foolproof” way to make sure you're not swooped is by feeding magpies. “That's the way to a magpie's heart,” he said. “You don't want to give them junk food … fresh meat is the best or even dog biscuits, especially if they're soaked in a bit of water.”
“We know that magpie's almost never swoop someone who feeds them. Whether you agree with feeding wild birds or not but the fact is the people who feed people in their backward never get swooped by magpie's or it's extremely rare.”
It's best not to feed magpies. Apart from giving them wrong foods that may damage their health, magpies can easily become territorial birds around people and other birds. They will view people they have never seen before as intruders.
Magpies can swoop from July through to December (usually for about 8 weeks) during the spring while they build nests, lay and protect eggs and raise nestling and fledgling birds. Not all magpies will swoop but some will as a natural instinct to protect their territory (area around their nest) and their young.
From July to November each year, magpies build their nests and raise their young in a limited area known as a territory. When there are eggs or young in the nest, the male and sometimes the female birds defend their territory from intruders. Some birds do this by swooping. Swooping occurs for around six weeks.
Waving sticks or umbrellas in the air or attaching a brightly coloured flag on a long pole to your bicycle can stop magpies from swooping.
When is magpie swooping season? September is peak magpie swooping season. However, the birds typically nest from July to December and have been known to swoop then too. Magpies tend to swoop for about six weeks as their mate incubates eggs and while the chicks are very young.
In a series of experiments, British scientists debunked the common myth that magpies are inveterate trinket thieves. They found that far from being attracted to shiny objects, the black and white birds tended to avoid them.
Use Decoys And Reflective Objects
There's one thing magpies are really scared of – flashing lights. You can keep magpies at bay by placing any reflective object in your yard.
Should we even feed magpies at all? Murdoch University's Healthy Wildlife, Healthy Lives website discourages feeding, saying it leads to "nutritional imbalances, increase the risk of disease, and lead to a disruption in natural animal behaviour".
While it is not technically illegal to feed native birds in Australia and you are unlikely to be issued with a hefty fine, wildlife experts strongly discourage bird feeding.
Avoid: Feeding Magpies and other wild birds, as they are very good at finding their own food and can become sick if they eat old seed or processed foods like bread. Riding your bike near a nesting Magpie as they are more likely to swoop bike riders than people walking.
Make eye contact with the magpie.
Magpies usually swoop from behind, so they are much less likely to swoop if they are being watched directly. As you walk away, try to maintain eye contact by looking over your shoulder as often as you can.
Taking a piece of mince or taking a wide berth around the magpies nest may eventually convince the nervous magpie that he does not need to deter this individual anymore because she or he poses little or no risk, and who knows, may even become a friend in future.
If a magpie tries to swoop you, bend your elbow and bring your forearm close to your head to protect your face. Once your eyes are covered, look down and walk away calmly. Cyclists should also dismount their bikes and proceed on foot through a magpie's attack zone.
“It's the birds responding to things they perceive as threats. That includes humans, dogs, cats, snakes and anything else the magpie decides is a threat to its chicks.” That might also include other magpies.
Natural predators of magpies include various species of monitor lizard and the barking owl. Birds are often killed on roads or electrocuted by powerlines, or poisoned after killing and eating house sparrows or mice, rats or rabbits targeted with baiting. The Australian raven may take nestlings left unattended.
When magpies are permanently ensconced on human property, they are also far less likely to swoop the people who live there. Over 80% of all successfully breeding magpies live near human houses, which means the vast majority of people, in fact, never get swooped.
Magpie swooping season tends to occur between August and October each year, however, each magpie pair will only swoop for around six weeks.
In Australia, the arrival of spring means that magpies begin nesting – and in some cases, swooping. These intelligent native birds are just trying to raise their families in a challenging environment – and like all animals, they have a natural instinct to protect their young.
The diet of a magpie
Their main diet in summer is grassland invertebrates, such as beetles, flies, caterpillars, spiders, worms and leatherjackets. In winter, they eat more plant material, such as wild fruits, berries and grains, with household scraps and food scavenged from bird tables or chicken runs, pet foods etc.
Magpies normally sleep during darkness, but if you're in an area with a lot of artificial light, they have been known to stay awake due to that light. It's possible that you got swooped on by a magpie if you're in a busy part of a city, but very unlikely if you're out in a remote area. Yep.
And since magpies can live between 25 and 30 years and are territorial, they can develop lifelong friendships with humans. This bond can extend to trusting certain people around their offspring.