ON THE WING
It’s magpie attack time and the birds with a flute-like song join plovers as public enemy No.1 in spring, if only for a short time. The menace of plovers, also called masked lapwings, were the subject of the column last week. Now I turn my attention to a more dangerous threat, magpies.
As I reported, plovers are all bluster when they dive-bomb people near their nesting sites and rarely come in contact with the target. Magpies, on the other hand, come armed with a sharp-tipped beak capable of inflicting a painful wound.
Spring, when the days lengthen and the weather warms, is the time birds, including magpies build nests and lay eggs.
The breeding magpies start to swoop at passers-by, on foot or riding bicycles, as well as dogs and anything else that moves.
Magpies get a bad press for unsocial behaviour at this time of year, but it should be noted that not all magpies swoop at people. Only a small proportion of them are aggressive to humans. Most that attack are males, although, most male magpies are not aggressive, and those that show a mean streak become aggressive when people venture too close to the nest tree.
Most swooping activity occurs in midto-late spring, in the brief period there are magpie chicks in the nest, with the intensity of attacks increasing gradually as nestlings grow. Few magpies attack before their eggs have hatched, and the attacks usually drop off after the chicks have left the nest. It’s a brief window, but one that can be traumatic for those being swooped.
There are a few things you can do to prevent being attacked, but nothing is guaranteed to work. The most sensible method is to avoid walking or riding near trees where magpies are nesting, one notorious area being a stretch of Clarence Street in Howrah, which in past years has been the home of a particularly aggressive magpie.
If you can’t avoid a problem area, try wearing a hat or carrying an umbrella for protection; cyclists can attach a forest of cable-ties to their helmets. It also helps to attach or paint spots resembling eyes on a hat or helmet. The “face” seems to make magpies think twice about attacking. People on foot can also wave a stick for protection. Keep an eye on the bird, he’s much less likely to attack if he knows he’s been sussed. Above all, don’t harass the birds. Though tempting, it will only make them more aggressive.
Despite their apparent belligerence, magpies remain one of Australia’s most loved bird.
The song is symbolic of both suburb and bush, and they are birds that can be considered truly Australian — the only other place they are found is New Zealand, where they have been introduced.