Overview. 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.
As mentioned, magpie swooping season occurs during a magpie's mating period, which tends to fall between August and October each year. While it can seem like it drags on forever when you're dreading your commute and trying your best to avoid feathered projectiles, a magpie will usually only swoop for around six weeks.
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.
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.
Statistics compiled by the community website Magpie Alert suggest that most swooping takes place between August and October. "When the fledglings are out of the nest, the nest defence activity decreases," Ratnayake 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.” September is the height of the “swooping season”, although the birds nest from July to December and can swoop during those months too.
founder Jon Clark also recommends keeping calm in the face of magpie mobbing: “Try and keep eye contact with the birds, that works more often than not—especially if you're walking or running,” he says, “If one swoops and you turn and look at it, keep your eye on it and edge out of its territory.
Ecologist Carly Campbell said even though it's difficult, it's important not to freak out and run, as that could provoke a further attack. "If you're getting swooped, the main thing you want to do is try to quickly and calmly move out of their space," Ms Campbell said.
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 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.
Walk with a stick above your head – but don't wave it. Wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your head and eyes. Walk quickly, but don't run or stop.
If a magpie attacks, it will most likely go for the highest point – in this case your umbrella or stick. It is important to never wave the stick about or try and hit the bird. This will make the magpie feel more threatened and it will just try to attack you all the more.
Myth 2: Magpies target certain colours
None of the research about magpies to date has found that magpies target specific colours, such as orange, yellow or purple. Instead, it is widely believed that they swoop purely to protect their young.
Australian magpies breed from late July to December, which means that swooping season stretches across half the year. But it peaks when magpie chicks hatch in September and early October. “Despite all the hysteria around psycho magpies, it is just the male defending the chicks in the nest …
The EPA and the NSW branch of the RSPCA will continue to keep their collective eyes peeled for the perpetrator, promising jail time. The maximum penalty for deliberately killing a magpie is two years behind bars.
Unfortunately, another expert noted that this can backfire, given that if you mess up and do “something as minor as looking in the direction of the nest” the magpie will also remember that and pursue you with a vengeance due to their “low tolerance threshold”.
Magpies love:
Open woodlands with tall trees but no understory. Big, old trees which give them somewhere safe to build their nests and sleep at night. Hunting and eating insects. Mimicking other birds' calls, car alarms, dogs barking, phones ringing and even human voices.
Cheese, mince and ham, in small quantities, are appreciated by the birds. Magpies learn the faces of humans they see regularly and stop swooping those they know.
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. Only a few magpies see people as a threat.
Like dogs, magpies seem to sense fear and will capitalise on it by pressing an attack. In a strike attack, a magpie swoops, hovers momentarily and then strikes. The fluttering of wings as the bird hovers is usually sufficient warning for adults and older children to duck their heads and avoid the attack.
Overview. 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.
Butcherbirds are known to swoop during the annual spring breeding season (from September to November). Swooping stops once the young have left the nest, so it's only a problem for a few weeks.