MANDURAH residents are being warned not to fight back against the rise of swooping magpies this month.
Australia’s Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife issued a warning about how to safely deter a swooping magpie.
The foundation’s chief Susanna Bradshaw said this month was the peak swooping month for male magpies with the most common targets bicycle riders, young children and men.
“The worst thing you can do when a magpie is swooping is to try and fight back,” Ms Bradshaw said.
“Throwing rocks or sticks will only further aggravate it and encourage it to swoop more, as it shows the magpie you really are a threat to its babies.”
Ms Bradshaw said magpies were a protected native species, so harming them could lead to penalties and fines.
“The best thing to do is avoid locations where you know there is a magpie swooping,” she said.
“Alter your walking or biking route for the next six weeks after a swoop.”
Ms Bradshaw said magpies nested in the same spots each year and to remember where a local, aggressive bird is.
“Each magpie tends to have a specific person in mind to target so there is method to this madness," she said.
“Scientists believe magpies swoop people who look like someone who bothered them in the past.”
Read more about how to avoid a swooping magpie:
· Hop off your bike and walk past a magpie’s nest.
· Change your route for the next six weeks if possible.
· Attach a flag to the back of your bike which is higher than your head level.
· Stick a pair of printable eyes on the back of your helmet. (If the magpie has seen this before, it may not deter it, as they can learn the difference between real and fake eyes).
· Fasten plastic cable ties echidna-style to your helmet to try and prevent them from getting at your head.
· Australian Magpies have one of the most complex bird songs in the world.
· These birds are very helpful around our gardens and parks as they eat up many garden bugs like the lawn-destroying curl grub, helping protect your plants.
· Magpies are found across Australia but most states will have their own sub-species with its own unique plumage patterns.
· Magpies take good care of their young and have been known to receive help from other family members when raising their chicks.
