Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behaviour
Do Blackbirds Swoop?
This intriguing question was posted by Jill on one my earlier articles. I assured her in my reply that I have never heard of this species swooping humans.
You have nothing to fear where Blackbirds are concerned. I have never experienced swooping with this species. In fact, they are usually rather timid and will readily fly away from humans. I have checked on the internet and found no recorded instances of Blackbirds swooping humans.
I also read through the article on Blackbirds in HANZAB (Handbook of Australian New Zealand and Antarctic Birds Vol.7) and there is no mention of this behaviour. HANZAB is THE authority on Australian birds and is a compilation of all research done on birds in this region, including a comprehensive overview of all the relevant published literature on birds.
Magpies and Lapwings
Most Australians know about the problem with Australian Magpies and swooping. They need to be given a wide berth when nesting. What many people do not know is that Masked Lapwings (also called Spur Winged Plovers) can inflict a nasty wound. Keep away from their nests or young is the message they are giving. On most occasions their attack is 95% bluff and injuries are rare. Last spring there was a very unusual news report on television showing footage of Magpie Larks attacking humans near the Festival Centre in the CBD of Adelaide. This is the only occasion I have known of this species swooping like their bigger cousins.
Australian Magpie
Kookaburras and Butcherbirds
Other species that may occasionally swoop include Kookaburras (one individual once took a sausage from a barbecue I was cooking). I once had an opportunistic Grey Butcherbird snatch a sandwich from my hand while on a picnic. In both these cases they were swooping for food - not attacking me. Gave me a fright though.
Laughing Kookaburra
Geese, Ducks and Swans
In parks and gardens as well as zoos and wildlife parks, any of the species of geese can get a little aggressive. This is often as a result of too many people feeding them. Many species of ducks can also get this way. I’ve even known Black Swans to act aggressively. In most cases they are after food; they are not intending to harm people.
Pelicans
I have heard of an instance of an Australian Pelican eating a small dog on the riverfront at Renmark in South Australia. I’m not sure if this is a true story or an urban myth, but pelicans would be quite capable of this. What I have witnessed was rather scary. We had visited the bakery at Mannum and were sitting on a seat near the riverfront eating our lunch. A pelican came up to us and almost snatched a sausage roll from the hand of my daughter-in-law. Having a pelican a metre away staring you directly in the eye is very unnerving.
Australian Pelican
Emus and Cassowaries
Many years ago while visiting a zoo in the SW of Western Australia I had another unnerving encounter, this time with an Emu. I was in a walk through enclosure containing ducks, geese, emus and kangaroos. One Emu took a liking to my camera lens and my glasses. Being followed by an Emu - no - harassed is a better word - was distressing, especially as the said Emu constantly tried to peck either my glasses or the camera lens. I was so constantly under attack that I had to quickly leave the enclosure, much to the amusement of my family!
The Southern Cassowary of northern Queensland has a reputation for being aggressive towards humans. I don’t have personal experience of this species, but I know that when I do visit that region, I’m going to be wary of the cassowary!
Ibises and Gulls
Gulls and picnics seem to go together. Especially when you produce some fish and chips. It is as if you’ve put up a huge neon sign saying “Come to the feast.” Again, this is as a result of feeding by humans and not a direct attack to harm. Having said that, it is intimidating and annoying to have a Silver Gull standing on your picnic table 30cm away from your lovely chips. In some parts of Australia, Ibises are a major problem too, snatching food from children in particular. Our larger Ibis species are almost as large as a toddler learning to walk. Scary stuff for a youngster.
Willie Wagtail
Willie Wagtail
Willie Wagtails are generally loved by all Australians and is one of our most recognisable birds. What most people do not realise is that these endearing little creatures can be very bold and aggressive when there are babies in a nest nearby. Our resident Willie Wagtails have given us a little tweak on the head if we venture too close to the nest. And they are not too slow to attack birds much bigger than themselves; even our largest eagle, the Wedge Tail, is not immune from harassment.
Honeyeaters
Honeyeaters are not known for their aggression towards humans. If you get too close to their nest they will let you know, scalding you incessantly from a nearby branch. However, they can be very bold. Many years ago a friend in Port Augusta related to me an occasion when a honeyeater landed on his shoulder and tried to pluck a hair from his rather ample beard. While this incident is not a display of aggression, it does show how courageous they can be.
Eagles
There have been a few recorded instances of people being attacked by eagles, hawks and other raptors. Only last year I was aggressively swooped by what I think was a Brown Falcon. I can’t be sure because I didn’t hang around too long. I was invading his territory so I beat a hasty retreat. He didn’t contact any part of me but it was a little unnerving.
How to Deal With Aggressive Bird Behaviour
- Give the birds space - keep away from their nest or their young. Think about how you would react if a large monster invaded your home. They are protecting their offspring so respect their space. If there is a magpie nesting on your usual walking route, try to take an alternative route until the nesting has finished.
- Wear protective clothing - this is particularly so with swooping magpies. Wear a hat or helmet to avoid injury. Some people say that painting large eyes on the back of a helmet, hat or cap helps to deter magpies from swooping.
- Don’t feed native birds - if everyone followed this rule there wouldn’t be a problem but it is probably too late for that. If you are having a picnic, don’t be tempted to throw food scraps to the gulls of ducks or whatever is nearby. Just one chip or bread crumb thrown at one bird will often result in dozens of birds flocking to your picnic ready for a handout. In the case of Gulls, it could result in hundreds surrounding your picnic spot.
- Carry a stick - I’ve proved this to be effective with magpies swooping. Carry a stick above one’s head as you walk through a magpie nesting zone. This deters them from attacking your head. Decorating the stick with ribbons can add to the distraction level.
- Carry a flag - this one is mainly for cyclists. Mount a pole on your bike with a flag at the top. It will help motorists see you too!
Readers’ Contributions:
I invite readers to leave their comments about their experiences with aggressive birds.
- Which birds have swooped you?
- How have you been harmed by birds?
- What about birds in other countries? Do they swoop or attack?
- What solutions to aggressive bird behaviour can you share with readers of this blog?
UPDATE:
- Readers on this blog have contributed many interesting comments - click on the comments section below this post.
- I have written a followup article called A Bit on the Nose. This post quotes in full an amusing email sent to the the Birding-Aus forum today. Special thanks to Bill for permission to quote the email in full.
Related articles and links:
- Duck - Its spring - article about swooping birds from the Australian Museum.
- Common Blackbirds - my article that started me on this post.
- ProBlogger - this article has been submitted to the Group Writing Project “How to…” being run by Darren Rowse on ProBlogger.
Blog Entries
September 19th, 2006 at 6:18 pm
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behavior by Trevor […]
September 19th, 2006 at 8:41 pm
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to deal with aggressive bird behaviour - my contribution to the writing project. […]
September 20th, 2006 at 1:09 am
LOL brings back memories of those nasty Canadian geese attacking my backpack while I was rollerblading across campus up north….. Our list is up as well if you’d like to check it out!!
September 20th, 2006 at 3:32 am
First, love the bird second from left on your header; beautiful colors! Second, I hope the pelican eating the small dog is just an urban myth!
September 20th, 2006 at 6:03 am
Trevor,
Here in Southern California one of the most aggressive of birds is the smallest, i.e. The Hummingbird. It is quite often that these little guys will buzz you in the garden purely for just being close, very territorial.
Very enjoyable post.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:40 am
Hi there MamaDuck. Welcome to my birding blog. I have yet to enjoy birding in your part of the world but I will look out for those geese when I do. I do know about the Canada Goose from videos and films (eg “Fly Away Home”)
September 20th, 2006 at 7:45 am
Hi there Jersey Girl, welcome to my blog. The bird you refer to in the header is an Australian Ringneck Parrot. We have them visit our garden amost daily and they bring a wonderful splash of colour. I have several more photos in my photo gallery and several other articles about them filed under PArrots and Lorikeets.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:49 am
Hi there Steve. I didn’t know that about Hummingbirds. I guess that they would be like having very BIG mosquitoes in the garden! Without the sting! I have yet to experience the joy of seeing hummingbirds - someday I hope to go birding in your part of the world.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:59 am
The following comments were sent to me by email on the Birding-Aus Forum:
Anthea wrote:
I find Red Wattlebirds and Magpies very aggressive towards humans at the right time of teh year, but I have never been swooped at by a Blackbird with aggressive intent - and I have lived with them all my life around Melbourne. Males do make aggressive swoops and dashes at rival Blackbirds, with absolutely no regard for humans, cars or anything else in the way. This leads to increase in spring Blackbird roadkills. In these moments, I have had one go past my face in quite an alarming manner, but he was aiming for another Blackbird.
September 20th, 2006 at 8:04 am
Thanks for the comments Anthea. I am always amazed at the aggression shown by Red Wattlebirds towards all other species, especially the poor little Spotted and Striated Pardalotes - harassment is not the correct word - open abuse and brutality sounds better!
I’ve not experienced or seen Red Wattlebirds attacking humans so that is a new insight for me.
September 20th, 2006 at 8:10 am
I received the following comment from Russell via email on the Birding-Aus Forum.
Russell wrote:
Hi Trevor
I like the way you’ve set up your page on bird attacks - you present the info very clearly and it is very informative, particularly for the non-birder.
Have you read “Magpie Attack” by Darryl Jones? It was publish 3 or 4 years ago. A great read - and the most comprehensive treatment of the topic to be published.
The bit I was shocked by is the way some rogues magpies will attack from the ground and aim for the eyes of the victim - debunking the old myth that magpies won’t swoop if you are watching them!
September 20th, 2006 at 8:14 am
Thanks for the kind words Russell.
I haven’t read the book you mention. I must check it out.
I am so pleased that “our” resident magpies are very docile and never swoop us. Mind you - they give most other species what for - tomorrow I’ll be posting an article about the constant “war” between them and the local WW Choughs.
September 20th, 2006 at 9:37 am
Just 10 days ago on an early morning bush walk in the Sydney suburb of Cheltenham, my presence caused a lot of fuss in a group of about 8 rainbow lorikeets that were gathered around a hole quite high up a gum tree. One of the birds dive-bombed me, passing very close to my nose at high speed. The noise of its wings at such close quarters was quite startling.
Last spring red wattlebirds nesting near our house also dive-bombed people regularly and with a lot of noise, but with no great menace.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Welcome to my birding blog Pater. I hadn’t really considered any of the parrots and lorikeets when writing this post because I’ve not experienced any aggression from them. Mind you - I would be very wary if I ever needed to handle a wild parrot of any size. Their beaks seem to me to be very effective needle sharp weapons.
Thankyou for your observation and contribution to the discussion. I try to post every day so I invite you to return often and please feel free to comment.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
[…] My post of yesterday about dealing with aggression in birds, especially towards humans, has caused quite a flurry of comments, both on this blog and on the Birding-Aus forum. […]
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:03 am
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behavior by Trevor […]
September 23rd, 2006 at 3:32 pm
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behavior by Trevor […]
September 23rd, 2006 at 8:36 pm
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behavior by Trevor […]
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:25 pm
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behavior by Trevor […]
September 23rd, 2006 at 11:33 pm
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behavior by Trevor […]
September 25th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behavior by Trevor […]
September 26th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
In California, USA, Mockingbirds are famous for swooping people who get too close to a nest. They harrass cats even more, I’m not sure if they are biting or clawing the cats, but the cats will run for cover. You know when it’s happening because the mockingbirds shriek at the cats nonstop til the cat goes away.
September 26th, 2006 at 7:40 pm
Hi there Karen. Welcome to my blog. I have not yet had the pleasure of birding in California. when I do I must watch out for the Mockingbirds! Now perhaps we could encourage some of our birds to harrass the cats of the neighbourhood.
September 26th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
Penny sent me an email with the following comment:
I’ve had a lot of experience with blackbirds, mainly when living in Surrey, Hampshire and London, UK. I’ve never been swooped. When disturbing near nests, they usually fly off making their loud danger calls.
Thanks for that Penny.
September 26th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
Hi Trevor,
Very nice pictures of birds you have here.
I’ll be back for more
September 26th, 2006 at 8:35 pm
Terry sent me this email comment:
With many Blackbirds in my area I have seen them swoop cats getting to close but never humans.
Thanks Terry.
September 26th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
Wim from Norway sent me this comment by email:
I have never yet been swooped by nesting Blackbirds as yet (but then we have very few of them in N.Norway, where I have lived the last 30 years). But the closely related Fieldfare Turdus pilaris, well known for its aggressivity around the nest, does also swoop at people now and then, peppering them with faeces just like a gull.
Thanks for that Wim.
September 26th, 2006 at 9:04 pm
Thanks for the comments Mark. I try to post every day so I invite you to return often.
September 27th, 2006 at 1:36 am
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behavior by Trevor […]
September 27th, 2006 at 1:45 am
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behavior by Trevor […]
October 1st, 2006 at 2:29 pm
[…] Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to Deal with Aggressive Bird Behavior by Trevor […]
October 17th, 2006 at 8:49 am
[…] I haven’t any really good photos of either species yet which is a little surprising as they are very approachable and can be quite tame. In fact in some of the eastern states of Australia they are a pest species in parks and gardens. They will aggressively approach picnickers and steal food, a somewhat frightening experience for small children. (Some of our bird species can develop aggressive tendencies. For more comments click here.) […]
October 25th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
[…] bird behaviour with many interesting comments and observations from readers of this blog. < 20 Comments > […]
January 17th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Anthea sent me this email in response to this question:
My earliest Swan memory is of having my banana pinched by one at the Botanic Gardens. I must have been about six then. Ibises are real menaces to small children too.
No-one should ever offer any cheek to a Cassowary. More hearsay - neighbour’s boy, aged about 10, saw a Cassowary in a Nth Queensland caravan park, while parents were setting up their caravan. Unaware of their reputation, he wandered down to look at it. He reappeared rather tearful and shocked 10 minutes later to report: “It knocked me down and stood on my chest!” He got off lightly.
I was once bothered by an Emu at Yookamurra - he kept gazing in my eyes and trying to induce me to come under a bush with him! The poor chap was a victim of imprinting- having been brought up in a shearer’s family, he thought he was human. Funny and sad, but he was a real nuisance. But Emus are pests at picnic areas - talk about demanding with menaces!
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:08 am
My Grandson rescued a baby Black Bird from his dog in the back yard and called me. He had tried to put it where the parents could take care of it, but it has a broken left wing and left leg. When I went to retrieve the baby, I was swooped upon by about 8 or 9 Black Birds (obviously family). One actually hit me in the head and came back for more! They didn’t hurt me and I wasn’t scared of them, but they DO swoop.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:58 am
Thanks for this Kitty. You have made a very interesting observation. I have received much correspondence from all over the world on this subject and you are the first one to have actually witnessed and been on the receiving end of swooping by blackbirds.
It is also interesting to note that there was a small flock of them. Here is Australia the introduced Common Blackbird (also called a European Blackbird) is usually only ever seen as an individual bird and sometimes in pairs. From your IP address I assume you live in the United States - could you have seen a different species?
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:23 am
Kitty sent these comments by email:
Hi Trevor,
I live in Ukiah, California, about 120 miles north of San Francisco. Blackbirds are very common here and look very much like yours. The males are black and females are a very dark brown. According to my daughter, this covey of blackbirds squawked for a couple of days after I took the little one, fluttering around where the little one had been. (we call it Birt) Sad to say, another baby fell out of the nest but the dogs got to it before they did. But interesting that these are the only ones you have heard of swooping! California is an aggressive State! My interest is peaked. I am going to check around here to see if this has happened to anyone else. I will keep you informed and will return to your site. It’s a fun site to visit.
By the way, have you ever taken care of a baby blackbird? This one seems to be gaining weight but am feeding it mash and egg. I know they are carnivores. Maybe should be feeding worms or something?
Thank you,
Kitty
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:24 am
Hints on looking after baby blackbirds and feeding them can be found here:
http://homepages.win.co.nz/creation/birdie.html
July 15th, 2007 at 9:58 am
Yesterday (July 14 2007) We picnicked at Mt Archer, Rockhampton and experienced a dozen or more Kookaburra both swooping and coming very close. I am sure they have been feed many times in the past. One large fellow perched on my seat very close and only flew away when accidentally touched. Other kookaburras were under our table.
They over flew us at a few inches, One bird after another when flying from one picnic spot to another.
As we had not seen more than 2 kookaburras together before this was a delightful experience.
There were lots of birds in the area including the giant black Parrots (yellow tail).
July 22nd, 2007 at 6:21 am
To answer your question Trevor, Blackbirds do swoop and are generally rather aggressive little devils. I’m writing from the Tropics (Trinidad in the West Indies to be specific) and I’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of having a family of them take up residence in a mango tree at the front of my home. I’ve been not merely divebombed but pecked a grand total of 4 times since I first recognized they were in my yard and am generally tracked by a small group of adults (6-8 at the worst) whenever i walk out my front door. Of the 5 recommendations you give for combating aggressive bird behaviour, I can only say that 2 are applicable to me (namely wearing clothing that covers the body well and carrying a stick) giving the little pests they’re space is not even a practical consideration because the mango tree in question is situated directly next to the gate I need to exit the premises (either on foot or by car).
So, while I may not be that much of a bird lover, I personally can’t wait for them to move out & on and allow me to walk about & around my home without them following me, even when I pose not immediate threat to them (for instance at the back of my house).
July 25th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Hi there Duane.
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. We are actually talking about two different species. My article was about the Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) native to Europe and which has been introduced to many parts of the world, including here in Australia. Common Blackbirds DO NOT swoop and they are rarely seen in flocks, usually being seen as single birds or a pair at most.
Common Blackbirds are not found in Trinidad.
The species you have so much trouble with is probably the Red Winged Blackbird, native to the Americas, including Trinidad. This is an aggressive species which does form flocks of up to a dozen or more.
I hope your pesky birds soon learn that you are no threat to them and that they leave you alone.
August 15th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Any suggestions on deterring Kookaburras from knocking at our windows for hours every day?
Sick & tired of them - not just distracting but also fear that they might just crack a large window glass!
Thanks for your help!
Regards
Darshak
August 26th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Hi there Darshak,
Sorry about the delay in replying to your question.
This is a common problem with windows and birds. The bird sees its reflection and thinks it is an enemy or a rival so it tries to fend it off.
I’m sorry but there are no easy or proven solutions. A friend never cleans his windows so there is no reflection. Others hang cut out hawks in front of the window to deter the birds attacking. Others have used shade cloth or a screen over the glass but this hinders the view - that’s often why we have windows.
If this habit has just started it could be breeding season in your area and this is then a territorial activity. Kookaburras breed September to January. Once the young are out of the nest this activity should stop. So there is hope.
August 31st, 2007 at 9:24 am
My 4 children (5, 7, 9 and 11) were attacked this morning by a group of plovers (a few pairs)they all have young at the moment. They were on their way to the bus stop and the plovers separated the children and were swooping and dive bombing them. They arrived back home shreiking and crying they were so unsettled by the experience. Having come on the internet to see what to do, I have read that they usually do not attack groups… 2 of my children layed on the ground to show they were not hostile. We do not have an alternate route to take … any ideas on what we can do?
September 1st, 2007 at 9:32 am
Thanks for visiting my site Janet and for asking this important and perplexing problem.
The experience must have been truly terrifying to your children. I have recently been bombed by a plover while walking near my home. This pair didn’t have young nearby but may have had a nest somewhere. It certainly unnerved me - and they only came to within about 3 metres.
Swooping plovers (more correctly called Masked Lapwings) are a common problem throughout Australia. Rarely do they cause harm by actual contact but this has been known to happen. The spur on the wing has been known to inflict scratches. As your children discovered the unsettling nature of such an attack is just as traumatic as actual contact causing harm.
They have been known to attack in small groups but more commonly just the one pair attacks. The behaviour should stop after the breeding season is over.
I do not know of any fool proof system of solving your dilemma. Perhaps the children could wear cycling helmets to minimise any potential damage if struck. (This is an expensive solution if they do not have helmets.)
A cheaper alternative might be for the children to each carry a 50cm stick with a flag tied to the top - say a piece of cloth. Hold the stick above the head as the attack occurs. (This method works with magpies - I haven’t tested it with plovers).
Either solution does not take away the problem of the frightening noise made by the birds during an attack. The children may still be very unnerved even with some form of protection.
I am sorry that I do not know a better solution.
September 1st, 2007 at 10:24 am
[…] Do blackbirds swoop - dealing with aggressive bird behaviour […]
September 11th, 2007 at 11:05 am
I have been swooped about ten times within two weeks. Twice I had head my head injured by pecking. The birds involved were magpies. The areas of the attacks were separated by kilometres. It would be impossible to avoid magpie territories randomly scattered over the whole district, so the advice to avoid their territories is nonsense: you’d have to stay in your house. I read on another website that magpies have killed five people, which makes them five times more homicidal than cassowaries, who have only one recorded dead to their credit (and that idiot tried to kill the bird). The second attack of a magpie on me caused a fair amount of blood loss which ruined my shirt. I understand that the people who were killed by magpies were struck on the temple. Could feeding magpies be responsible for their lack of fear of humans? The advice on cassowaries should be followed vis-a-vis magpies - perhaps? These are wild animals, not pets who bond with us because we have raised them from infancy. NOTE: I have lived in the Redcliffe area (postcode: 4020) for six years. This is the first time I have been consistently attacked and injured, but I certainly did not enjoy this nor consider it funny. Maybe another solution would be to increase the cat population to reduce the numbers of these birds in the area. My theory is that they have undergone a population explosion and this has increased their aggression and irritability, defending less and less territory occupied by more and more birds, (not to mention the population explosion of humans in Redcliffe, also quite surplus to necessity).
September 12th, 2007 at 9:12 am
Thanks for stopping by and leaving these comments. Your claims cannot go unchallenged though I do understand the pain and discomfort you have endured.
The claim that five people have died as a result of magpie attacks is in my opinion incorrect. A long search of the internet turned up only one, an elderly gentleman whose eye was badly damaged and he subsequently died. I cannot find any more information but I suspect that the death was not as a direct attack from the magpie, but rather secondary infection. Pure speculation on my part, please note.
In another case a cyclist was attacked and fell which caused serious injury. Although in a critical state for some days the man survived. I can find no other serious cases, and certainly no deaths.
As for the cassowary, it is widely regarded as the most dangerous bird in the world and they will attack if provoked. There has only been one well documented death, a teenager in 1926 who, with others, had been harassing the bird which then chased them. The lad concerned fell and the bird’s sharp claw ruptured a major artery in his leg. More recently residents around Innisfail have been harassed by hungry cassowaries after the damage of cyclone Larry last year.
And as for increasing the number of cats - you have got to be joking! Cats alone have been responsible for far more extinctions of species in Australia than any other animal (with the possible exception of human interference of the environment).
Research indicates that there has only been an increase in magpie numbers in rural Australia, due mainly to land clearing for farming. Any increase in numbers in your area is purely anecdotal and not based on evidence.
September 30th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Trevoe:
I was attacked by Magpie today — 5 times in 2 separate instances, both in the same area. I have just moved to Queensland from the USA and am completely unfamiliar with attacking, unprovoked birds. I was riding my bike to store as I have before, just following along the bike path. I felt something hit the side of my head, felt like hit a branch but I knew there was not branch there. I looked behind me and saw the Magpie following me. I sped up as fast as I could, thought I had gotten away when SMACK it hit me on the left side of the head again. This happened a third time before I got off my bike (it was disarming, I did not want to fall off) and the bird flew into a tree - I yelled at it and then got on my bike — it followed me and swooped (but didn’t hit me), but I sprinted as fast as I could and it eventually gave up. Then over an hour later on the way home, the same thing happened — this time it hit me twice and drew blood, hitting me between my ear and my eye. By the time I got home, blood had poured down my face onto my shirt.
I was born with vision only in my right eye, the left is completely blind. The attack has me worried about going out for another bike ride, or even a walk with the risk of a magpie injuring my only good eye. Usually, i’d consider myself a conservationist but I did nothing to provoke this animal, just riding along peacefully on my bike — even after it attacked me, i was obviously trying to escape (peddaling as fast as I could) and the evil thing kept chasing me.
These birds are a real danger and people have died as a result of the attacks. Indirecly related deaths, for example crashing a bicycle or falling down when being attacked, are still death and BUT FOR the magie attack these deaths would not have occured. You should not downplay this.
I think attacking birds should be moved or shot. If the attacking ones are rare, and these birds are as smart as everyone says - they will learn not to attack or getting rid of the violent ones will have little effect on the bird population as a whole.
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Thanks for your comments JC.
Magpie attacks are certainly disarming at best and downright frightening at worst, especially for little children. I am sorry if I gave you the impression I was downplaying the seriousness of these attacks. The pain inflicted on many people is certainly quite serious.
I acknowledge that you have a particular concern regarding your eyesight. Is is possible to wear some extra eye protection during the breeding season? I know hardware stores sell eye protective goggles for activities like chain sawing, mowing etc.
November 13th, 2007 at 10:44 am
Upon reading that 95% of Masked Lapwings attacks do not involve direct contact I did not no whether to be relieved, because I will most likely never come across an equally aggrissive one, or disturbed because the one I deal with aims for my face everytime.
After a number of magpie incidents this nesting season, as I foreigner I have quickly learned to be aware of attacks from above. In this particular instance I had walked down the street numerous times and had no reason to suspect danger. However, I was unaware of the increased aggression caused by two wheels. I crested a small hill on my bike and just as I started to pick up speed BAM. With absolutely no warning I was struck in the face by a plover. I can only guesse that the bird miscalculated because rather than a glancing blow with its horned wing it literally flew straight into my face and nearly fell to the groud before it could recover. The force of the impact caused a nasty bruise along with a scrap,e not to mention a poor start to the day on my morning commute.
Since the initial attack I have tried many defences, but if the bike is present, even if I’m walking and doing everything I can to keep my eye on the bird, I’m in danger. After another scratch from the horned wing scarily close to my eye I have given up biking altogether. This is the second time I’ve come across a bird that is aggressive towards bikers but harmless to walkers. Is that common? Do you know why that is?
November 13th, 2007 at 11:19 am
Thanks for the comments Amy.
Your experiences with this aggressive Lapwing have been quite disturbing, not to mention painful. I can’t imagine what you have been through.
Many people have commented here and on other forums about the aggression various birds display towards cyclists. There must be something about the sound of the bike or the speed of movement that disturbs them so much. I’ve read various theories but there have been no conclusive findings (to my knowledge).
December 14th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
why do certain birds congregate in large numbers during dawn and dusk at intersections in the city; hundreds upon hundreds of grackles etc. sitting on the electric wires as if having some big meeting or something.????
December 15th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
Hi there Ronnie,
It certainly sounds an interesting observation you have made. I am sorry that I do not know the answer to your question as I live in Australia and I have never seen a grackle. A little research on the internet revealed that this species does gather in large numbers in fall and winter, but the article did not explain why.
I am only guessing at this - the birds would disperse in pairs to breed in spring and summer. When breeding is over they might gather in flocks ready to migrate to warmer areas, or they might just be gathering together for mutual protection - the chances of surviving an eagle or hawk attack are greater in a large flock.
January 20th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Hi Trevor and all bird lovers,
I have been reading the previous comments with interest. For about 4 years various birds have nested in our back garden (we have several trees and bushes). The blackbirds over the past three years or so seem to have preferred my jasmine so that they can nest safely and securely within it. Over the past couple of weeks baby blackbirds who were being reared in the jasmine have either flown or fallen from the nest. Once I actually saw two birds from an earlier generation flying from it. This time I was not about. In the last few days, one of the young birds has been hiding under a bush, and does not seem very able to do more than hop about, but not very far. The obvious concern of neighbouring cats on the wander, has me trying to keep watch as best as possible. But as it is not wise to feed them - I am at a loss to know what is best. I have not handled the bird at all, but as it seems unable to fosage for food easily, have thrown a few little pieces of grapes to help out. Should we let nature take its course? We love to watch our resident birds, many of the old nests still remain in trees about, and we particularly love the beautiful song of the blackbirds too. Thanks, Ruth
January 30th, 2008 at 8:26 am
While it is tempting to give nature a helping hand it is probably best the let nature take its course.
The Blackbird is an introduced species and regarded as something of a pest in many places. While it has a beautiful song - which I love hearing - there is a bigger picture to consider. The welfare of our native species is under threat by all of the introduced species.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
In my experience with wildlife it is because humans create the reason for the bird to swoop or attack in the first place.
If people stopped feeding wildlife then the likes of pelicans wouldnt approach people eating their food. In Nth QLD you know a pelican wont come to you even with the offer of a fish - because the fisherman there dont feed the birds because it just might encourage crocodiles…..So you certainly dont get pelicans coming to take food of people enjoying a nice lunch because they dont understand that you are offering food. Thats just for starters…
Magpies, plovers etc are just being good parents and lots of the time are reacting to young kids who throw rocks etc and most of them are riding on their bikes. So these birds associate threats to their family by people that ride bikes or maybe have the same hair colour etc. I have witnessed magpies ignore adults and some kids, but then someone with certain coloured hair will pass and the birds will swoop - makes me wonder whether they have had a bad experience with someone with that coloured hair.
The thing with wildlife is they dont do it because its fun, they do it for survival and something has made them feel threatened that they have to protect their family….just like we would!!!!!!
and JC from America - if you relocate the rogue Magpie another one enters the territory straight away and I’m not sure if you can just kill indiscriminately in Americal BUT you are not allowed to shoot/kill a protect species in Australia…..
and R Gibson from Australia - shame on you for thinking the answered would be to have more feral cats killing the wildlife in your area - you do know the cats would not just kill magpies…hmfff - and you have hit the nail on the head - too many houses for humans and not enough houses for wildlife….
and to all the people complaining - these animals were probably living in your area long before you came and tore down their houses and they are only protecting their young and you only have to live with their protective behaviour for one month maybe two. Lots of you seem to know that it is going to happen so wear the icecream containers on your head or paint eyes on the back of your head or dont go up that street and get on with it!
Food for thought - by the way our galahs do the same as the grackle………
April 15th, 2008 at 11:52 am
You make some very good points Cathy. Thanks for contributing to the discussion. (Sorry it has taken so long to reply - I’ve been busy with my studies)