Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

Magpie swooping: Inside the Australian bird's annual reign of terror


Still Waters

Recommended Posts

Don't run. Travel in groups. Carry an umbrella and wear sunglasses on the back of your head.

These are some of the ominous warnings issued in Australia each spring, as magpies and humans begin their annual turf war.

Streets and parks become a battleground, as the birds - descending from above and attacking from behind - swoop down on anything they fear poses a threat to their offspring.

High up in their nests, they rule over their kingdom with an iron claw, while on the ground, humans dust off their protective hats - traditionally a plastic ice-cream container - and duck for cover.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-66920781

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Is there anything in Australia that doesn't want to kill you?

  • Thanks 1
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The rainbow lorikeets don’t…nosy things but beautiful birds….

image.jpeg.99792885a8ccb3c8cd864ba95b7dd74c.jpeg

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Shadowsfall said:

The rainbow lorikeets don’t…nosy things but beautiful birds….

image.jpeg.99792885a8ccb3c8cd864ba95b7dd74c.jpeg

They are slowly, and methodically, planning the annihilation of the human species, mark my words.

  • Haha 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

They are slowly, and methodically, planning the annihilation of the human species, mark my words.

Your thinking of cats. :unsure2:

  • Haha 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Piney said:

Your thinking of cats. :unsure2:

Sadly, in Australia, humans are planning the annihilation cats... the feral ones at least. I love cats but they are devastating the wildlife down under.

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

Sadly, in Australia, humans are planning the annihilation cats... the feral ones at least. I love cats but they are devastating the wildlife down under.

The saddest part about that is it's because of human irresponsibility. We capture members of feral colonies in the forests here. Spay ot neuter them and release them back. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Piney said:

The saddest part about that is it's because of human irresponsibility. We capture members of feral colonies in the forests here. Spay ot neuter them and release them back. 

Releasing them back won't really help the problem in Australia, not in the short term anyway. With no native cats in Australia the wild life has not evolved to recognise them as a threat. Each feral cat kills around 740 native animals a year and there are 6.3 million feral cats.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/30/2023 at 5:04 AM, Waspie_Dwarf said:

Is there anything in Australia that doesn't want to kill you?

Even the kangaroos have a go…

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Shadowsfall said:

Even the kangaroos have a go…

 

Had that happen a few times hunting rabbits with the whippets, roos trying to drown the dogs.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, openozy said:

Had that happen a few times hunting rabbits with the whippets, roos trying to drown the dogs.

They afraid of the dogs ….what’s their angle with this behaviour…

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Shadowsfall said:

They afraid of the dogs ….what’s their angle with this behaviour…

Some ancient defence mechanism I think. When they hunted roos with roo dogs in the old days there are reports of up to a dozen dogs being drowned one after the other. The big roos are tall enough to stand where the dogs are swimming to them and the roos hold the dogs head under.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
1 minute ago, openozy said:

Some ancient defence mechanism I think. When they hunted roos with roo dogs in the old days there are reports of up to a dozen dogs being drowned one after the other. The big roos are tall enough to stand where the dogs are swimming to them and the roos hold the dogs head under.

Too true wouldn’t want to try and tackle those big Roos I know who would come of worse in that encounter…

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Shadowsfall said:

Too true wouldn’t want to try and tackle those big Roos I know who would come of worse in that encounter…

I got attacked by a big roo when ferreting and my little whippet/staghound cross saved me by pinning it by the throat, she got many stitches from that encounter. She also saved me getting bitten by a 6ft Eastern Brown snake. She was a top mate and she passed just this year. I got her cremated and when I go my daughter will scatter our ashes in the hills we hunted together. She is the blue dog here, Shady. 

shady.JPG

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dogs have the greatest loyalty and devotion of any animal and it’s only right that we reciprocate……it will be a fitting reunion for the pair of you….😉

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/30/2023 at 5:04 AM, Waspie_Dwarf said:

Is there anything in Australia that doesn't want to kill you?

I don't think so...... Yeah nah

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feed Maggie's all year round. They don't seem to bother me this time is year. They bring the young ones over when they can fly. 

Plovers, Pee-wee's, heaps of swooping birds. More than Maggie's. 

Edited by psyche101
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just swoopin' by.  Howya doing psyche, long time no see!

I feed the maggies too, and they love me.  Have only been seriously swooped a couple of times in my younger days before I learnt the secret..  It is a little scary, but usually no blood lost.  However, there was that tragedy a few years back where a mother carrying a baby tripped and fell while being swooped...

Not all magpies swoop, it's just a few who probably had a bad incident with some idiot hooman.  Seriously, just give them an occasional treat, and they'll tell their local friends..  And if you get swooped, turn towards them, keep your eyes on them and wave your arms .. while leaving the danger area.

 

Note that I buy a mixture of proper food from a pet shop for them, and I don't feed them often.

 

See yaz in another year or so..... 

  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, psyche101 said:

I feed Maggie's all year round. They don't seem to bother me this time is year. They bring the young ones over when they can fly. 

Plovers, Pee-wee's, heaps of swooping birds. More than Maggie's. 

Noisy miners are so annoying, and they swarm.  Hitchcock must've encountered them.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, ChrLzs said:

Just swoopin' by.  Howya doing psyche, long time no see!

I feed the maggies too, and they love me.  Have only been seriously swooped a couple of times in my younger days before I learnt the secret..  It is a little scary, but usually no blood lost.  However, there was that tragedy a few years back where a mother carrying a baby tripped and fell while being swooped...

Not all magpies swoop, it's just a few who probably had a bad incident with some idiot hooman.  Seriously, just give them an occasional treat, and they'll tell their local friends..  And if you get swooped, turn towards them, keep your eyes on them and wave your arms .. while leaving the danger area.

 

Note that I buy a mixture of proper food from a pet shop for them, and I don't feed them often.

 

See yaz in another year or so..... 

Great to see you Chrlz. Hope all has been well with you. 

We get the pet shop stuff but they get leftovers as well. They are really cool, they catch the food as you throw it in the air. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Golden Duck said:

Noisy miners are so annoying, and they swarm.  Hitchcock must've encountered them.

They are indeed. We get them too. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.