Every year from early August to late October, the Australian
The cassowary is usually considered to be the world's most dangerous bird, at least where humans are concerned, although ostriches and emus can also be dangerous. Cassowary (Queensland, Australia).
But nowhere is the “swooping season” as scary as in Australia, where cyclists and pedestrians alike live in sheer terror of one very angry bird: the Australian magpie.
Mockingbirds are most known for their dive-bombing behavior, says Mulvihill. Swallows are also known to use the swooping scare tactic to keep people, dogs, cats and other potential predators away from their nests.
Stay calm, protect your face and walk away quickly. A magpie may become aggressive towards people because it has been harassed in the past.
If a magpie has ever swooped on you, you might find this next part hard to believe. It turns out magpies can and do, form friendships with humans – and not just when they want food.
Limit the amount of food that you leave out, and make sure that there is no place for the birds to perch or nest. If possible, install a bird deterrent, like a hawk or owl decoy. Some people carry an umbrella to ward off the risk of divebombing birds.
As his name suggests, Bomb has a special condition that causes him to unexpectedly detonate when he's angry, excited, or scared. Though he tries to keep it under control, he has always found self-restraint just slightly out of reach. However, his explosive power has gotten him out of a pinch more than a few times.
The squawking birds are incredibly protective and will swoop down, dive bomb and attack people or animals they think pose a threat to their vulnerable young.
Dromornis planei was a massive bird with a formidable bill. It belonged to a uniquely Australian family of extinct flightless birds, the dromornithids (mihirungs). Because of the close relationship between mihirungs and ducks, Dromornis planei has been nicknamed the 'Demon Duck of Doom'.
A migratory bird, the koel usually arrives in Australia from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to breed from late September to early October each year, when the male will sing his advertising call day and night to attract a female.
The bush stone-curlew is probably heard more than it is seen. Its call sounds like a wail or a scream in the night. When scared, it screeches – a sound similar to the screech of a possum. A field report from Brookton, Western Australia, noted that their call was heard in response to the cry of possums shot by hunters.
Almost all swoops on people are carried out by male magpies defending their eggs and chicks, which are in the nest for about six to eight weeks between July and November. Magpies often become more aggressive as the chicks become older, but swooping usually stops once the young have left the nest.
Wedge-tailed eagles are Australia's largest birds of prey, with a massive wingspan of between 1.8 and 2.3 metres. The females are larger than the males and both sexes start off as a light reddish brown, darkening with age to almost black.
Northern mockingbirds and several species of raptors including red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, Northern goshawks, broad-winged hawks, and peregrine falcons may display this aggression towards humans during the nesting season, approximately January-August.
Terence is a mystery. He is the largest of all the birds and uses his brawn when needed. He communicates only in deep, guttural growls and groans.
Bomb, also known as the Black Bird, is the tritagonist of the Angry Birds series. He is a bird granted with the ability of exploding, and a member of the Angry Birds.
The fastest bird on Bird Island, Chuck thinks, talks, and moves extremely quickly, sometimes too quickly for his own good. Fiercely competitive, he strives to be a hero but his short attention span and lack of discipline often get in the way.
In most North American hummingbirds, males court females by diving at them head on — but Costa's hummingbirds (Calypte costae) perform their courtship dives off to the side. Researchers now find that this strategy allows the males to aim sounds at potential mates as if they were using a megaphone.
Barn swallows have a strong instinct to protect their young, and these tenacious little birds will dive at anyone that gets too close to their nest in order to protect it and young.
Reflective and shiny surfaces can confuse birds so an easy way to avoid any dive-bombing incidents is to have reflective strips on your bag or clothing. Another simple suggestion comes from a resident of the fishing town Arbroath, although not proven he used the colour red to deter seagulls with surprising success.
Magpies swoop in spring
During this time, they will defend their nests and chicks, but also defend their surrounding territory. Male adults are using their body language – beak clapping, whooshing above your head and screeching – to warn you to keep away from their eggs or newly-hatched chicks.
Magpies are 'like dogs'
"They will form very long friendships, like dogs," she said. "They will introduce their young [to you] and they will be the most charming birds. "Even during the breeding season you can come close to them because they know you'll do no harm."
“Only 10 per cent of the male magpies actually swoop people and the research suggests it is actually a learned behaviour,” Dooley says. “These birds might have had a bad experience with humans in the past, and they remember that and swoop when humans come near their nest.”