Swooping magpie causes cyclists death

[Eldorado 37,897]

"An elderly cyclist has died after a freak bike accident caused by a swooping magpie near an Illawarra beach.

"Witnesses reported a 76-year-old man was riding a bike on an off-road path that runs along the length of Woonona Beach and Nicholson Park shortly after 8am on Sunday, when he swerved off the path to avoid the magpie."

Full report at Sydney Morning Herald: https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/cyclist-dies-after-swooping-magpie-causes-bike-crash-20190916-p52rmg.html

And at the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-49711147

[Habitat 7,116]

Magpies are apparently more important than people, I saw a kid crash his bike and break his arm years ago , under the assault of one of these varmints. Shoot or re-locate.

[zygote_myles 237]

Poor old guy. But, as the article says: "The best thing to do to protect yourself against swooping magpies is to avoid areas where they are known to be swooping, especially if you've been attacked in that spot before."

[Timothy 5,174]

28 minutes ago, Habitat said:

Magpies are apparently more important than people, I saw a kid crash his bike and break his arm years ago , under the assault of one of these varmints. Shoot or re-locate.

All you have to do is offer them food a few times, then they trust you and remember you. 

That is all. 

Or learn to not react in a scared manner. 

[Habitat 7,116]

10 hours ago, Timothy said:

All you have to do is offer them food a few times, then they trust you and remember you. 

That is all. 

Or learn to not react in a scared manner. 

Rubbish. Some are very dangerous, and people can unwittingly walk into a risky situation.

[Timothy 5,174]

9 hours ago, Habitat said:

Rubbish. Some are very dangerous, and people can unwittingly walk into a risky situation.

Yeah they are dangerous if you’re unaware of them and oblivious and don’t know how to react to being swooped. 

They are intelligent birds

Solution: Don’t be unwitting. Magpies are just being naturally territorial. 

[Timothy 5,174]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/08/31/a-magpie-swooping-trick-you-probably-havent-heard-of-yet_a_21463319/

[Habitat 7,116]

21 minutes ago, Timothy said:

Yeah they are dangerous if you’re unaware of them and oblivious and don’t know how to react to being swooped. 

They are intelligent birds

Solution: Don’t be unwitting. Magpies are just being naturally territorial. 

Plenty of people have lost their eyesight, they attack without warning. Shoot them if a risk.

[Timothy 5,174]

3 minutes ago, Habitat said:

Plenty of people have lost their eyesight, they attack without warning. Shoot them if a risk.

They attack only where they are nesting. 

Of course they’re not going to warn you, they’re protecting their babies. 

You should be aware of where they could potentially nest.

It’s a widely known thing in Australia to beware magpies and take precautions this time of year. The newspapers run the same token articles every year too. 

Yes you could be really unlucky and lose an eye, but if you’re continually a victim of ‘magpie terror attacks’, you need to change what you’re doing. 

[Habitat 7,116]

I have been struck twice, over the years, once in the ear lobe, the other time the top of the head. Blood flowed. A European visitor I had, was struck in the nasal passage, and he bled so profusely as to cause considerable alarm. We were lucky, a considerable number of people have been blinded. Lame excuses such as they only do such things when provoked, are nonsensical.

[Gwynbleidd 4,984]

It's the time of year right now for Maggies to be out in full force.  We have a park with a walking track nearby our house so I make sure the kids don't go over that way till about November when the chicks will be bigger and out of the nest.  I see a lot of the kids who ride to school with their helmets like this.  Lots and lots of cable ties on them. 

[and then 35,402]

On 9/16/2019 at 7:50 AM, zygote_myles said:

Poor old guy. But, as the article says: "The best thing to do to protect yourself against swooping magpies is to avoid areas where they are known to be swooping, especially if you've been attacked in that spot before."

I guess... or alternatively, spread the word to friends and have a Magpie hunt there?  Whatever seems best  

[and then 35,402]

On 9/17/2019 at 3:57 AM, Timothy said:

Magpies are just being naturally territorial. 

#METOO   

[Matt221 4,389]

I used to have a tame magpie he used to follow me everywhere if I was out in the garden I'd pretend to be asleep he'd try and open my eyes by gently lifting my eyelids up,however he used to attack my mum it got so bad she used to arm herself with a broom lol

[Timothy 5,174]

2 hours ago, Matt221 said:

I used to have a tame magpie he used to follow me everywhere if I was out in the garden I'd pretend to be asleep he'd try and open my eyes by gently lifting my eyelids up,however he used to attack my mum it got so bad she used to arm herself with a broom lol

Poor mumma! Lol. Birbs do be protective.

I feel uneasy hearing that a magpies beak was touching your eyelids. 

Who’s the goodboi/girl in your avatar picture?

[openozy 1,547]

21 hours ago, Gwynbleidd said:

I love Magpies and are the Ned Kelly of the bird world,misidentified and wrongly accused as in the pic here of a Pied Butcher Bird.So what if they kill the odd cockroach(cyclist),drivers kill heaps of them.

[Gwynbleidd 4,984]

8 minutes ago, openozy said:

I love Magpies and are the Ned Kelly of the bird world,misidentified and wrongly accused as in the pic here of a Pied Butcher Bird.So what if they kill the odd cockroach(cyclist),drivers kill heaps of them.

I always find Maggie's funny when you see their chicks finally out of the nest running around following the Mum and they're as big as the parent!

[Matt221 4,389]

13 hours ago, Timothy said:

Poor mumma! Lol. Birbs do be protective.

I feel uneasy hearing that a magpies beak was touching your eyelids. 

Who’s the goodboi/girl in your avatar 

The bird in the arvatar is Orville my little Jackdaw my current corvid he was only young in the pic I hand reared him a year or so ago. 

[Timothy 5,174]

On 9/18/2019 at 8:15 AM, Habitat said:

I have been struck twice, over the years, once in the ear lobe, the other time the top of the head. Blood flowed. A European visitor I had, was struck in the nasal passage, and he bled so profusely as to cause considerable alarm. We were lucky, a considerable number of people have been blinded. Lame excuses such as they only do such things when provoked, are nonsensical.

Definitely unprovoked. I agree. I didn’t suggest it was provoked. 

It’s like complaining about being attacked by a shark while swimming. 

[Timothy 5,174]

49 minutes ago, Matt221 said:

The bird in the arvatar is Orville my little Jackdaw my current corvid he was only young in the pic I hand reared him a year or so ago. 

Can you please give Orville a little scritch under the beak for me! 

[third_eye 36,190]

1 minute ago, Timothy said:

Can you please give Orville a little scritch under the beak for me! 

You just leave Matt's birdie alone... 

~

[Timothy 5,174]

1 hour ago, Gwynbleidd said:

I always find Maggie's funny when you see their chicks finally out of the nest running around following the Mum and they're as big as the parent!

Grey feathers but such sooks! They are beautiful birds. 

Edited September 23 by Timothy
Typo.

[Timothy 5,174]

Just now, third_eye said:

You just leave Matt's birdie alone... 

~

But but... but a scritch is a good thing. 

It’s like the equivalent of itching a scratch but on bird level. 

Give a little scritch on the birbs cheek or neck etc. 

[Matt221 4,389]

1 hour ago, Timothy said:

Can you please give Orville a little scritch under the beak for me! 

I will when he eventually decides to come in he keeps flying away ...... he'll be back when it's food time lol

[Susanc241 951]

5 hours ago, Timothy said:

It’s like complaining about being attacked by a shark while swimming. 

But our natural habitat isn’t in the sea, and being on land is.  Not quite the right example.