Comments on: Magpie Attack Hotspots Map Helps You Avoid Those Evil Birds

By: Fila

Fila — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:40:25 +0000

Just wanted to add another hotspot. Clyde train station has a very aggressive maggie at the moment. Watch your back…..

By: Smalltime

Smalltime — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:38:01 +0000

Wow guys, looks like most of you need a holiday.
Anyway…

I always used to get swooped by magpies on my way home from school, while crossing a park near my parent’s house. For a 10 year old kid, the sound of those wings clapping right next to my head, and the sound of that big, needle sharp beak snapping shut within inches of my ear was terrifying!

So I asked a few older and wiser heads if they knew a way to stop the attacks without resorting to violence. We all have our place on this little blue marble, after all.

To start, you have to realise WHY the bird is swooping you. There are three major reasons.

1. To drive you out of their nesting territory.
2. To collect nesting material – AKA: a clump of your hair.
3. Like some of the commenters in this thread, magpies are jerks. Anyone who’s seen a bunch of maggies beating up on a lone, smaller bird will know what bullies they can be (I have, and do).

Some of the suggestions that worked for me…

* Drag a fallen gumtree branch along behind you. For best results, make sure the branch is at least half as big as you are, and that it still has lots of leaves attached. Don’t know why this works, but it does.

* Ever noticed how magpies *always* attack from behind? Like all bullies, magpies are cowards at heart. Exploit that cowardice. Wear a hat or cap with big eyes drawn on the back, or put your sunglasses on the back of your head. You may look and feel a bit ridiculous for a short while, but magpies will never swoop someone who they think is constantly watching them.

* Try walking backwards across the bird’s turf, or constantly look back over your shoulder, keeping a close eye on your airborne nemesis. If looking back doesn’t put the the bird off (a rare occurrence), turn and face it. In extreme cases, yelling helps too.

The idea is to show the swooping maggie that you know exactly what it’s up to, and that you’re not afraid.

Bonus magpie hack: You can turn the ‘look back over your shoulder’ method into an amusing game of statues with the swooping bird, if your timing is good. :)

By: CB

CB — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:46:26 +0000

Oops. Overreaction on my part, and I forgot the all-important “wait 5 mins before posting when you’re angry” rule. I stand by the general picture: we’re the big danger (to everything including ourselves), and we should leave the remaining nonhumans in peace as much as we can. But I apologise for the rudeness.

By: SS

SS — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:30:31 +0000

Wow. I had no idea Lifehacker was run by rednecks. Definitely my final visit.

By: noisy

noisy — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:14:39 +0000

Ah, diddums. Did a nasty magpie swoop you, poor dearsy-wearsy?

By: Jack

Jack — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:11:47 +0000

What are you talking about? Magpies are the most friendlist, most interactive bird there is.
Were I live, the magpies are so friendly, they sit on your veranda and actually take food off your hand. They are so friendly, and there are so many generations of birds that we have gone through. It is those crows that are the bird that are mean and attacks people. The crows call is loud and irritating, while the magpies are calm and soothing.

Maybe there should be a crow site, not a magpie.

By: CB

CB — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:59:19 +0000

Hmm. We have taken over virtually every inch of the planet, half-destroyed most of its ecosystems, driven vast quantities of other species into extinction (Australia is a particularly enthusiastic destroyer of non-humans, of course). Then someone complains if the odd creature living in the few remnants of unconcreted reality we’ve allowed to stand pecks at their head a bit. You and your ilk won’t be happy until you’ve eliminated all non-humans. Or maybe you’ll accept the odd fluffy one with big eyes, confined to cages.

You are truly beneath contempt.

By: cbp

cbp — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:14:04 +0000

Hehe, Lifehacker Australia is generally quite a depressing, pessimistic place, at least compared with the American version, so not overly surprised with this sort of article… I know you’re probably just being sarcastic, but yeah… attacking a magpie is illegal and kind of pathetic… the ice cream carton on the head sounds like the way to go. Or you could try a different route perhaps?

By: Wil

Wil — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:13:08 +0000

Since my girlfriend is scared of birds I normally end up having to chase them away.

Magpies I throw lots of sticks at them so they fly away. Then keep chasing them till I am far away enough from where I am sitting. Then I let them take back the area which is far away and walk back to where my girlfriend is. Magpies generally are stupid enough to think they have won and I get to eat my lunch.

As for sypathy for magpies i have none. They are agro all the time and even bully other birds too, all year round.

Other birds like sea gulls are easy. You just make sure you have a bottle of water with you and spray it in an arch at them. Once you hit them a few times they fly off and it doesn’t hurt them :).

I kinda wish there was like a noise birds hate or something to scare them off. Would make the whole process a lot easier.

By: Angus Kidman

Angus Kidman — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:42:55 +0000

When I wrote this post I was confident someone would try and argue the magpies’ case. I don’t personally buy an argument that runs “it’s OK for magpies to defend themselves against humans, but not vice versa” — especially when some studies suggest aggressive behaviour by magpies outside of breeding season. And just what are those strategies, tennis racket aside?