Pesky plovers - dealing with swooping birds
Dealing with swooping birds is a topic that arises very frequently in newspapers, on television and on birding forums. During the spring here in Australia, our main bird breeding season, there are numerous complaints from people about aggressive birds. Most of these relate to Australian Magpies. The male aggressively defends the nest. Sometimes contact is made with the unfortunate person and blood is drawn. My own sister-in-law had a terrifying experience like this as a child.
A question from a worried reader:
I recently had a request for help from a reader concerning her children being attacked by plovers (Masked Lapwings). Here is what she said:
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 shrieking 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 lay 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?
Masked Lapwing
Terrifying:
The experience must have been truly terrifying to the 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.
Masked Plovers:
Swooping plovers (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.
Possible solutions:
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.
Over to my readers:
Perhaps my readers may be able to suggest a better solution. Leave your ideas in the comments below.
Further reading:
- Do blackbirds swoop - dealing with aggressive bird behaviour
- Magpies behaving badly
UPDATE: Readers of the Birding-Aus newsgroup have contributed many ideas and comments on this problem. Read their suggestions in the comments section below.
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Blog Entries
September 1st, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Unfortunately I think there is very little that can be done, other than protection as Trevor mentioned.
Can I also suggest you try alternate routes to the bus stop, or consider dropping the children off until breeding season is over? It may be inconvenient, but is less disturbing to both children and birds!
September 1st, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Thanks for your comments Meryl. After writing this post I thought of your suggestion too - the whole family sitting in the car waiting for the bus may be a solution but could be very inconvenient for the parents.
September 1st, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Can’t offer any more than your suggestion of a stick with a flag to wave over their heads, should work just as well with lapwings as it does with maggies.
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Thanks for your comments Duncan. I think you are probably right.
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Greg answered my query on Birding-Aus:
I have never heard of plovers/lapwings actually ever hitting anyone. For all the noise they make they are unlikely to hurt the children. Just do nothing and ignore them would be my advise, just respect that they are trying to protect their young.
Greg
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:16 pm
I have to disagree Greg - I have heard of people being hit, though it has not been my experience.
Telling a young child of five to ignore them will not work as they are terrified by the noise and the whole prospect of possibly being hit, however remote that might be.
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:18 pm
John wrote this on Birding-Aus:
They do certainly sometimes hit some people - I never have been, but I have friends who have. And besides, it’s easy to tell children not to panic, and to ignore them, but that’s generally easier said than done for children!
John
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Good points John.
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Jill wrote this on Birding-Aus:
I don’t really know much about this, but my experience is that when the lapwings behave like this, it is because they have young chicks running around. If the people can look around and try to locate visually where the chicks are, they can do a wide berth around them in the first place. I have found as soon as you are out of ‘range’ of the free ranging chicks, they stop. If there is a dog with the people, that seems to be worse and it is always good to have the dog on a leash so it doesn’t run around near the chicks.
I don’t know whether it is true also for when they are sitting on eggs, but it may be - it is a case of checking out what they are doing before kind of entering into their ‘territory’ so to speak.
They are really scary, i have to say, whether they plan to make contact or not, it is frightening to have that noise and wingbeats so close overhead. That’s my thoughts, hope it is helpful.
regards
Jill
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:22 pm
You are right Jill, the noise and attacks can be terrifying, especially to child and those of a nervous disposition.
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Chris said:
Lapwings usually don’t hit people, if they do it’s by accident. After all, would you deliberately run into something that much larger than you? I’ve always found that two things help with Lapwings. The first is to always face them. They seem highly reluctant to dive if they can see your face. The second is to skirt the nest area as much as possible. If the nest is on one side of the street, cross on the other. If they’re crossing a field to get to the road, go along the outside of the field. Lying down is probably the worst thing you could do - the Lapwing is trying to get rid of you, if you lie down it probably things you’re trying to hide so you can get closer to the nest.
So my recommendation boils down to them trying to stay as far away from the nest as possible, move quickly through the area, and face the Lapwing when it is trying to make a dive at you.
Another thing you can tell the lady is why they do it (if she doesn’t already know). Cats, dogs and people are responsible for a lot of egg crushing or chick deaths and the birds are just trying to protect their babies. I had a pair in my local park in Brisbane that hadn’t successfully bred in the 5 years I monitored them. They had eggs at least twice every year. On at least one occasion I caught local kids picking up the eggs and running away laughing. They didn’t laugh so much when I told them they probably just killed two living creatures.
Regards,
Chris
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:29 pm
My answer to Chris is that his argument doesn’t hold up with regard to Magpies and some other species that are very willing to attack something bigger than themselves. Ever seen a Willie Wagtail attacking a Wedge Tailed Eagle? That’s just one example of many I could give.
I have to agree that it is probably an accident if they do hit someone. The whole thing is still terrifying to children and nervous adults.
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Rosemary commented on Birding-Aus:
When dealing with a similar problem with Arctic Terns (who definitely can draw blood!) the solution is usually to hold a stick so that it protrudes vertically above your head so that the birds cannot actually hit your head.
I wondered whether this would work for lapwings? Or maybe try an umbrella??
Rosemary
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:19 pm
An umbrella is definitely worth a try - very sun safe too.
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Michael wrote on Birding - Aus:
Or maybe try an umbrella??
In “Wild Neighbours: the humane approach to living with wildlife”, Ian Temby does suggest umbrellas, adding that the transparent variety could be handy!
But in the case that Trevor raised, how about asking the bus company to move the stop, at least during the lapwing breeding season?
Michael
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Shirley contributed this amusing incident on Birding-Aus:
The perversity of Lapwings to nest in very public areas is amazing. There was a pair that regularly nested on the golf course in Armidale (not sure if they are still doing so). And they swooped, but seemed to target one golfer in particular who would end up in an absolute fury, flinging clubs at the birds. Of course, onlookers thought this quite funny, because the golfer in question although on a very low handicap, was quite often very grumpy, to say the least.
Shirley
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:25 pm
John wrote:
There is a pair in Hobart regularly nests in the middle of a suburban roundabout. Virtually the first trip the chicks have to make each year is to cross the road to a park nearby.
John
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:30 pm
I once saw a pair escorting two balls of fluff on a triangle of grass at the intersection of North Terrace, West Terrace and Port Road in Adelaide, possibly the busiest intersection in the whole CBD with six lanes of traffic on each road. It was a very busy Saturday afternoon and we were almost gridlocked with cars coming from the Entertainment Centre nearby.
Very brave birds.
September 2nd, 2007 at 10:40 pm
We used to find (in northern NSW) that a resident pair would attack when they were sitting on eggs, but as soon as the eggs hatched, and there were mobile chicks, the attacks stopped. Have not really followed up these observations in other places to see if it holds true elsewhere.
September 4th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
I’m always amazed at the locations that plovers choose. Maybe the exposure works in their favour? They get an extended family of big, strange-looking birds to keep away the predators.
September 8th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
I once read about a pair of plovers that nested successfully between the rails of the Sydney to Melbourne railway line. That’s the ultimate in protective cover.
September 18th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
My anser is when bening Bobmed by the plovers, you must run away as fast as you can, and dive to the ground when they come near. You should try hiding behind a tree or something that will protect you. Don’t throw rocks trust me it dosn’t work i tried it before. Just don’t get in their way. Thank you
September 20th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I find this very interesting. My son rides his bike to school & a couple of Plovers are swooping him. He can not ride his bike, carry his back pack & try the umbrella trick. He school has not taken kindly to the suggestion that they move the bike racks. My son is 9. As soon as the birds start he drops his bike & runs screaming.
September 22nd, 2007 at 8:18 am
Hi, we have a very aggessive pair of plovers on our lawn. They arrived a couple of days ago and are completely terrorising my family. They have turned out dogs into nervous wrecks and it is only possible to get to the cars waving a broom. These birds are relentless. Does anyone have a sensible solution, we will not be moving house to get away from this, nor will we be waving brooms for the next few months either. Any suggesions as to where councils stand on the removal of this menace. Plus, i have witnessed myself them swooping on people and to within a couple of inches too.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Thanks for your comments Dylan, Jenine and Angela.
It sounds like these birds are causing you all a great deal of anxiety and inconvenience.
In answer to your questions about councils, Angela, I suggest contacting your local council for advice. It seems each council has their own rules and regulations so it is best getting local input on these matters.
September 28th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
A lady that I have spoken to recently said that children at their school aree pulling Zip Cords through their helmuts & this is stopping the birds getting to close. They are using a few cords each. Only work if you are wearing the helmut thourh.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Hi,
I am absolutely terrified of these swooping birds. When i was younger i fell of my push bike face first into the road after a magpie hit me in the side of the face. i ended up in hospital with teeth hanging out and cuts all over my face. I have recently moved to darwin and the plover birds are very agressive i have noticed though on some worksites that if i wear a high vis vest they have left me alone but if i dont have one on they are after me. I will also keep an umberella on me when walking to work and see how it goes. I think also that if you are scared of them they know (6th Sense). So putting on a tough face toward them is probably not a bad idea. If anyone finds out an amazing way to stop them swooping i would love to hear from them.
Kind Regards
Poppy
April 12th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Thanks for visiting Poppy.
You have very good reason to be afraid of swooping birds. Experiences in childhood that are terrifying can leave some horrible scars - both physically and mentally. I took many decades to overcome my fear of large dogs after being attacked by a neighbour’s Alsatian when I was about ten.
It sounds like you are determined to beat you fears by trying many different strategies - all the best with that.
July 18th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Well, every day i walk so far to get to my bus stop to go to school and the other day i found out what a plover looks like. To my dismay there are plenty near where I live and I have been told to have a 1m+ long stick or branch to cary around. When they swoop or fly above you, just wave to stick around vertically. Beware not to hit them because they are easily agrivated.
Carly
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:56 pm
[…] Pesky plovers - dealing with swooping birds […]
July 27th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I’ve been attacked by plovers, riding a motorbike on a farm. They are pretty scary. They will defend both their nest and their chicks.
We have a pair of plovers on our golf course, and I saw yesterday that they have a chick (delightful little ball of fluff). They are used to humans, so they don’t swoop, but do the “akakakak” call and the broken wing thing.
Sure-fire remedy - hold a stick (or golf club) above your head. Plovers are not good fliers and won’t go near you if there is an obstruction (although they will still try to scare you). This also works even for magpies who are the Spitfires of the bird world.
For kids: explain that the birds are just trying to defend their young, and how you can defeat them with a magic stick. Make it a game.
July 27th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Welcome to my blog James. Thank you for the timely advice, especially the advice for children. In many cases I suspect that the fear some children display merely mirrors and mimics the fear transmitted by their parents.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Have read the comments with much interest, we have a pair of plovers with eggs in the centre of our front yard (we have just bought the house) and our family is well aware they are only ‘defending’ their nest. Have lived previously in an area with plovers and there was never a problem.
Unfortunately the nest is close to our front door and we have to enter/exit as we attend our daily routine of school, work, etc under consistent swooping. As much as we love wildlife this is becoming a ‘headache’, the local Council say the plovers native birdlife therefore will not relocate the plovers.
Do the plovers return to their nest each time to lay the eggs? twice a year? are the juveniles protected with swooping for how long?
Does our family need to evolve into unmbrella heads to survive? Help !! I am somewhat concerned for our young kids and their friends as they are intimidated by these birds.
How are we going to mow the lawn, garden, and the kids to play?
There is Council Reserve in front and beside our property, a natural grass area which is only partly mowed, which the plovers visit but for some reason they live in our yard.
There is a product available; Multicrop Scat Bird & Animal Repellent, to deter from an area, by spraying. I would like to give it a try, once the nest is abandoned; hopefully it will work if I can determine a time frame between nestings. That’s if I’m still sane!!
Look forward to receiving some responses to the above. Thanks, from ‘under seige’.
August 17th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Plovers seem to return to the same place year after year to nest and begin swooping from the time the hen bird begins to nest. We have had a pair nesting our front yard every year for the past ten years and suffer the swooping every year. It makes it difficult to work outside (horse paddocks and gardens still need to be done)and an umbrella is the best solution, although that must be replaced by a strong, brimmed hat when moving horses. Definitely don’t try to retaliate as it just makes them more aggressive.
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Hi there Lee and Rhonda,
It must be so frustrating having to cope with the constant barrage of attacks from this species of bird. I am still at a loss to suggest anything that might work.
August 26th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
After 4 years of living in my house (two vacant blocks either side) I now have a pair of plovers sitting on eggs. For the past 4 weeks we have been swooped on in our back yard and deck area and I cannot come out through the laundry side of the house at all. They even swoop us in the street as we are walking down the road. I have great difficulty mowing my nature strip. Someone told me to use rubber snakes next year just before nesting time to discourage them from settling. Do your think this may work?
August 31st, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Hi there Debie, welcome to my blog about Australian birds.
Other writers have used the rubber snake solution with success in relation to discouraging Blackbirds. It is certainly worth a try.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Just reading your comments with interest. We have been in our home about 18 mths and 10 days ago, plovers nested between our shed and house. Unfortunately the first egg was laid the day before my sons 18th party. After talking to DSE and some volunteer wildlife people, it was decided to protect the nest with wire that had foil wrapped around it and then a lamp set up to keep the chill off the eggs. The birds were not swooping at that stage.The party went ahead.Everyone was interested in what was in the enclosure and it was a joke to say “we’re waiting for the eggs to hatch”as teenagers sat around peering in at the nest. The female was back on the nest by 7am.Two of the eggs were damaged by someone tripping over, at this stage we are unsure if they are viable or not.There are only 3 eggs altogether. We have found that the swooping happens more with strangers to our house or if people are going to the shed, which is percieved as a threat. Most times I am able to go about my business of hanging washing out or feeding the horses. I have found if they run away on the ground
I can talk to them and they don’t swoop, but if they fly into the air, they will swoop and be more agitated. Sometimes I pause and they settle on the ground again, remain at a distance, but don’t swoop. Certainly locating and skirting the nest helps. In conclusion I would add that it is me[not my children] who is most scared when they do swoop!
September 1st, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I’m a 14 yr old who has been swooped by plovers.These particualr lapwings are very aggressive and have swooped to well within 1m of me. I don’t think that they would intentionally hit me, however I am not game enough to test the theory.After being attacked by a pair about two months ago in my local park, one of the birds has since relocated to my next-door neighbour’s front yard with the other moving to the empty block on the other side of the road. As a result I am forced to walk in between the two of them.
There had been no problem walking this way for about a month until an incident last week where I walked no closer than usual to either bird. I walked approximately 5m from the bird on my side of the street and 10m from the bird on the other side of the street. The closer bird started its usual shreiking but I was startled to find that it was, in fact, the plover on the opposite side of the street who started dive-bombing me.
I am very short and I usually walk home with my brother who is much taller (almost 6 foot) however, on the day in question, I walked home alone. The bird which I walked closer to tends to spend more time sitting on a nest whereas the one which swooped me is typically more mobile. Is it possible that one plover sits on the eggs while the other guards it? Do these events have any connection? If anyone can give any sort of advice on how to deal with the plovers it would be much apprecaited.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:11 am
Jimmy, I’ve observed the pair of Plovers on the vacant block next to my house, and they share sitting on the eggs, I have observed the change over and the unencumbered plover roams freely. The free roaming Plover has eyed and swooped me while mowing my nature strips and even on the vacant block on the other side of my house which is not visible to them protected where they are on the fenced vacant block. The one on the nest screeches and the other one comes to do the swooping I stand my ground because I have two very small puppies that play in the yard and I’m usually standing close by to protect them. They are fairly intimidating swooping to within what seems to be a metre and the other has actually left the nest to join in the swooping. I stare directly at them and it seems to be a game of chicken, they swerve at the very last minute.They have been sitting on the nest for over 4 weeks, the eggs must be ready to hatch, I’m dreading their antics once the eggs hatch.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
interesting comments … we have a problem with plovers for several years nesting on our roof ( tin,flat roof) . As stated extremely aggresive when eggs laid - will swoop anything that irks them & the constant screeches day & night drive me nuts.I have been swooped even cleaning pool which is well around from house. We are currently trying a type of twine strung around roof & which vibrates with the wind. Noise is supposed to drive birds off. Touch wood this works!!!!!
September 5th, 2008 at 8:31 am
This first chick hatched two days ago, the plovers are still sitting on the remaining 3 eggs but nothing has happened as yet. Now what I need to know is how long will it be before they move on and we can get back to normality. I cannot even step out my laundry door, they fly in and manouevre under the eaves, you can almost feel them brush you and they screech just when they are at your ears.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Thanks for the comments Rod. It will be interesting to see if your solution actually works. Keep us posted.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Sorry I can’t help you with your question Debie. It must be very frustrating for you.
September 7th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I have Plovers constantly nesting in my back paddock, I have on several occasions moved the eggs and they go away , Somehow tho this time they managed to hatch and now I have 3 little ones running around with them. They have become more aggressive now and the area they swoop has become larger of course because the young are wandering. My daughter likes to ride her motorbike around the paddock and they dont seem fazed about the bike and continue to swoop her.
I was hoping for a solution to their terrifying antics as I would love to mow my lawn. But alas its just another animal to cause you harm and seemingly try to kill you in this wonderful country.
God I love Australia !! Lol
September 7th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I live opposite a park in Thornbury, Melbourne where there are a number of plovers but only one pair appears to be aggressive(that I’ve noticed anyway). I have been attacked and seen others being attacked with the birds coming within a few centimeters of heads, and swooping two or three times in one attack. Just yesterday morning while extremely hungover I forgot about them and was caught off guard and turned into a disorientated raving nutter, much to the amusement of peeple parked nearby.
How about sticking some eyes on the back of a hat or helmet. Last year while riding my bike in Bendigo I was swooped by a magpie. I went and bought some googly/moving eyes and stuck them to my helmet….i wasn’t swooped again, but that does not necessarily mean it worked.
Simon.
September 7th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I believe that it is unusual for plovers to nest above the ground, but I have a pair nesting on our flat roof above the front door. Can anyone say how long before the young are hatched.
They constantly swoop me and come very close but haven’t made contact yet.
My wife waves her arms and yells, but this makes them more aggressive.
I find that if I keep out of line of site to the nest area they are less aggressive.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:57 am
We have a plover sitting on 3 eggs very close to our front door. Can anyone tell me how long it takes for eggs to hatch. She has been there since 4 September. The lawn needs mowing and I am wondering how long we will have to wait. This is a new house and the plovers used to roam on this block before we built we now only have a small patch of lawn but she has picked this to lay her eggs. Across the road and is a very large park so she is not very smart.
September 10th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Hi there Ally, Simon, Peter and Elaine - thanks for visiting. Sorry about the delay in answering - I’ve been very busy.
Masked Lapwings - also called plovers - incubate from the egg in around 28 - 30 days. The chicks may then take 6 - 7 weeks to fledge (fly).
The nesting on a roof is most unusual - I wonder how they think the chicks will be able to run off after hatching???
September 11th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
two plovers started to nest in the year 4 playground and in the car parks so my class was having fitness and the plovers started to dive near me and my class. And really most of the times my friends gets swooped by both plovers at the same time also my dad and my uncle got swooped by a few plovers . hey Trevor my freind caquila said that plovers cant really land propally so you pick up a stick . the thing i always see is people turning back and running away . My solution is to go to the very opposite side and to go as quickly as i can and RUN!!!!
FROM MOSES!!!
if any solutions just comment
September 11th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
more plovers
September 12th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Plovers or the “screaming birds” as I call them are very very scary. I was walking through our property towards our dam and I was swooped several times, I had to run for cover under a tree and they still persisted. I grabbed a stick waved it around my head and ran back to our house. I looked back at out dam and notice a very young plover near the waters edge. So there is there reason, protection. I have lived here for 8 years and have seen plenty of plovers, and have never had this problem until now.
September 13th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
You are right Kelly - they are ’screamers’ and can be very frightening. And you are also right in saying that they are only trying to protect the nest, eggs or young.
September 14th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Every year a pair of plovers nest accross the street in the High School grounds
Every year there’s commotion and swooping when the kids go anywhere near the nest or chicks.
The birds are ok if no kids come near them but I have found over the years that the kids deliberately tease the birds and nests so consequently the screaming and swooping of these birds.
I have often told the kids to stay away and so has the teachers but you always get kids teasing the birds for fun
I have found some teachers are so ’stupid’ as to stand over the nests. When this has happened I have had to speak to the teacher as he thought by standing over the nest it would protect his pupils. Also once you pick up the eggs the plovers don’t go back to that nest again. I saw the groundsman do that once when he wanted to mow and he lifted the eggs and tried to coax the birds back to the eggs which he had placed a distance away.They simply abandoned that cluch of eggs.
If people would recognize there are nests or chicks nearby when the plovers screech or swoop and take a wide birth around them next time they walk that way
Barbara
September 15th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Thanks for visiting Barbara - and for leaving your comments and telling of your experiences with this species. Similar comments could be made about Australian Magpies. The really aggressive individuals are often the victims of teasing by children or have been harassed by adults. Other pairs can be very docile. The pair nesting on our property, for example, have never swooped us and will even let us come near to the nest or the young without a problem. They go about their business of raising the young and we leave them alone.
September 21st, 2008 at 10:58 pm
We are having our first house built and have discovered 3 eggs sitting in the middle of the back yard. This would clearly explain why the plovers are so agressive, but with a toddler I would really prefer to just be rid of them permanently before we move in. Is there any way to get rid of them without harming them or the 3 unhatched chicks. I read a comment above that if you move the eggs they won’t come back to that nest, but 1) that would kill the 3 chicks and 2) would they simply pick a different place in our backyard next time they wanted to nest?
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:23 am
How long do plovers remain on the nest as i have a pair of nesting plovers in my backyard and am waiting to mow the lawn
September 26th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
We live in a semi rural area on small acreage.
The resident pair of plovers are absolute bullies, who have terrorised us & the neighbours for over 10 years.
After seeing them having a go at the neighbour’s 2 cattle dogs & hovering while it debated following the dogs underneath the highset house, I was concerned about my placid female Cocker’s safety.
So I made it a game for her.
When the plovers would carry on, I encouraged her to chase them.
Worked a treat!
The rotten bullies didn’t like the tables being turned on them.
Now that my Cocker is no longer with us, the plovers are back with a vengenance.
September 27th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Hi there Vicki - thanks for sharing your experiences with us. It must be frustrating to say the least to have these aggressive birds take over, and I’m sorry that I cannot offer any solution to your problem.
September 27th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Hi there Betty - sorry for the delay in answering your question. I can’t seem to find any reference in my bird books about how long the eggs of plovers (Lapwings) take to hatch. It would be my guess that it would be about three weeks at the most. The the chicks would be running around following the parents for another month at least - maybe more before they are independent.
October 1st, 2008 at 7:30 pm
The same pair of plovers have been nesting in my yard near the waterfront for the the last few years. This year we place a cover over the area where they return to nest and they nested next door instead. However since their 4 young have hatched the parents moved them down to the waterfront and into our yard again. QWe are unable to use the waterfront to go swimming as they are constantly swooping us, adults and children alike. It is very frustrating to have a waterfront which we are unable to use with safety. Any solutions please.
October 1st, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Welcome to my blog Norma.
It must be very frustrating to have this problem. I can only offer one piece of advice - patience. The chicks will grow up and make a life for themselves somewhere else in a few weeks. Then life should return to normal for you and your family - until the next breeding season.
Other readers may have other suggestions.
Just a word of caution to all of my readers though - remember that all native birds are protected by law, so be careful not to be tempted to harm them, as frustrating as it may be. Interfering with any nests is also unlawful.
October 7th, 2008 at 11:12 am
I live on acreage and have had my first encounter with nesting plovers, had seen them in this part of the lawn without having any problems with them, then all of a sudden one day they started swooping, right next to my new vegie garden, even with a big stick they still swooped and they got very close, their wings sometimes brushed against me,the umbrella worked the best, they actually retreated so I was able to see the nest of 4 eggs. this went on for 5 weeks. on the 35th day they were very aggressive 2 diving at the one time I then realised the babies had finally arrived, the next day all had hatched and by that afternoon they had left,they went across another paddock across the road to a creek quite a walk for new babies.
it was all very stressful for all of us including the dogs sometimes they would chase them but that made them worse. as much as I love having birds around, I think next year when they are checking out the area, I’ll mow the lawn every day and try and encourage them elsewhere !
October 7th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Welcome to my blog about birds, Joan. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
They can be very annoying birds - and terrifying if on the receiving end of one of their attacks. Well done for surviving the ordeal!
Mowing the lawn every day may be counter-productive actually. It has been found that airport managers leave the grass near runways unmown - leaving the grass to grow to about 30cm. This has proved to be successful in deterring the plovers from nesting as they need a clear view of approaching threats. I’m not sure if this is a viable alternative for you.
You can read the government report here:
http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2004/pdf/03_masked-lapwings.pdf
October 9th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
i was walking accross the oval at my little brothers primary school and i heard the plover screach i looked every where and i found it soaring above me, i stuck to the fence line but they wouldnt swoop i found it a great help. i also was carring a stick with me i found it off a tree about one metre long with twigs out the side i waved it above my head and they didnt swoop when i next walked accross the middle of the oval.
im 15 and my little brother is 7 so he hides infront of me
October 9th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Welcome to my blog about birds Jay.
Thanks for leaving your comments about swooping plovers. I have found that holding a stick above my head is very effective against swooping magpies and it is good to hear it also works with plovers.
Well done for being brave - and for protecting your little brother.