Swooping Magpies in Australia

April 9, 2009 by Kimberly

I’ve never been so scared of a bird before…

In fact, I’ve never been scared of a bird before this!

When I lived in Western Australia, I was there to play softball. So, I jogged in the mornings each day.

The very first morning I went out through our neighborhood alone, I was shocked to see the amazing wildlife, parrots everywhere covering trees, a kangaroo or two, some kookaburras, some lizards and lots of flies! LOL…

australianmagpie …But there were these large birds called magpies, or “maggies” as their nicknamed there.

They are large like a big seagulls with pointy beaks, but are black and white all over…Or, they look like big crows with a bit of white on them…

They are much larger than their cousins around the world. The Western Magpie is the bird I was dealing with on a daily basis.

Why are they scary?
Well, it’s like they stalk you…They follow you where you walk, jog, run.

Then, if it’s nesting season, they’ll fly above you and swoop down on you, especially if you have long hair…

Why?
They want your hair for their nest. Either that, or they’re protecting their nests and you look like a predator!

I’ve even seen them chase other birds, animals, even hawks during this time.

I have long, long hair, so a ponytail just wasn’t going to do it. I either had to put my hair in a tight bun or wear a hat with my hair tucked into it when I jogged.

Anyway, they’re not little birds to say the least! They’ve even been known to kill small animals swooping on them or human babies…

There was a couple bringing their baby to the car when I was there back in the 90s and a maggie swooped down, for whatever reason, and cracked that babies skull.

Yes, I’m serious!

Anyway, if you see magpies in the air near you, cover your head and face or wave your arms above your head…

There are Warning Signs explaining that the magpies swoop. They say to walk quickly through the area, but not to run. They also suggest to wear a hat or carry an umbrella.

People riding bikes should dismount and walk through the area.

I got swooped and one just cut my skin on my forearm as I was waving them above my head. Looking back, probably not the right thing to do, but it was swooping me…

Why my Aussie roommates didn’t warn me…LOL…I don’t know…LOL…

Keep a look out! You can’t harm these birds in any way, as they are a protected species under the Nature Conservation Act in Australia.

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I hope you found this Australia Animal post interesting on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards