Magpie attacks

They are pretty fearsome, that’s true! We just did a farmstay over the weekend and I was out enjoying the morning serenity and peace when all of a sudden – WHOOSH! A big black shadow appeared out of nowhere, inches from my head! I ducked luckily and raced back inside. Didn’t even see it coming! We were told to always wear a cap/hat, won’t stop it swooping but will stop it breaking the skin – eek!. I’m assuming the maggie will go for you first as you are the tallest – but put a cap on your daughter too – although I know some kids hate wearing hats. Buy the book “Waddle Giggle Gargle” by Pamela Allen and read it to your daughter so she gets to understand what maggie’s do and why and how to keep yourself safe (it’s a really cute story about a family who live near an aggressive magpie!!)

Magpies will terrorise you if you let them, there is this one bird who loves nothing more than to follow me in the park I live near, and look straight up at me in the face! It will try and block me from walking where I’m going, and just sit on the ground and look up at me. It’s the scariest thing, but birds can sense fear, so you have to try and remain calm. To get rid of it, I just use an umbrella and keep walking. When I walk my dog, it doesn’t come near me at all. If you are able to walk with a dog or another person who isn’t a child, they are unlikely to attack you. I think the bird is used to seeing me now, and rarely comes up to me each day. When I see it, I just make sure I don’t walk anywhere near it. It’s also the same thing with pluva birds, an umbrella works to stop them coming near you. Pluva birds nest on the ground, not in trees, and will make this awful squawking sound to warn you they are about to attack. Just don’t walk near them, and you shouldn’t have a problem. If you do have to walk near them, use am umbrella, and wave it around if they do squawk, they do get scared quite easily.

Umbrellas are a great idea as it gives you some space between the magpie and you. Paint a BIG face on top of the umbrella. If all else fails, swing the umbrella around wildly at it. I am not an animal cruelty advocate and love all animals however sometimes a fast moving object is just enough to scare them back to their tree.

We were always told to have hats with faces on top of them.. Apparently seeing a face/big eyes deters them? So definitely do this with the umbrella.

We were also told they hate the colour orange and yellow? I’m not sure how credible this is either but apparently they have colour triggers.

I used to just try and keep away from big trees. Evil things they are!! They scare me half to death.. lol 🙁 Good luck!!

Speaking of hating orange & yellow – I remember being terrorised by a goose at a place we visited in the Blue Mountains years ago – I was wearing an orange & white dress I loved & this goose took one look at me, started flapping it’s wings wildly & chasing me as fast as its little legs could run. Scared me off geese for years, but we nowdays live near a 40+ size flock of geese at our local wetlands and they’ve even wandered in small groups up to our front yard, and I’ve found they’re not at all scary but quite cute!

We’ve magpies front & rear of our house nesting right now, and I was swooped for my first time last week while getting washing off the line. Took me by surprise, but luckily was a one off (so far..)

Thank you ALL for your feedback. Reading your stories and experiences made me feel a bit more confident and not so alone anymore. I know it might seem funny to some, I believe I must look hilarious when I am trying to run away from a swooping bird.
Thanks for all the advice too. I think a hat and an umbrella are the best solutions, and the umbrella will protect me from the sun too.
I have just come back from a walk taking my little daughter to daycare and where I was attacked yesterday the same spot I saw a teenage boy on a scooter and a bird going for him big time. I knew that if I had got there a minute earlier the bird would have gone for me.

Thank you again for all the stories and advice. It feels really nice to have so much support. 🙂

I’m sorry but I couldn’t help having a bit of a laugh. I grew up in the country, & we were all attacked as kids, I guess I’m inured to it. Kids would ride past with icecream containers on their heads (before helmet laws).
You said one followed you home? Change your route. They’ve got good memories, the magpie _will_ remember you & go for you again.
Don’t panic! Protect your eyes & your baby’s face. Go out prepared – have a plastic cover over your pram or carrier.
Maggie season is only a few weeks. It’ll be over soon, good luck.

You must be brave misfortune. I have always been in the country. Grew up in the southern highlands and now live in the Riverina. I’m 27 and they still scare me half to death!! LOL
There is a sign outside my daughters preschool that reads “beware of swooping magpies!!”. And its a permanent sign nailed into the telegraph pole.
Makes me wonder why a sign had to be put up? Maybe there was an incident.

“Beware of swooping magpies” the sign reads?
I get a mental picture every time I see *swooping buzzards* on the forum. _That’s_ something to be afraid of.

lol. yeah that would be an even more terrifying experience 😛

sorry to hear you’ve been scared off anita.

I used to get swooped by magpies so much when I was at school, as there was some bushland around it and that was where my friends and I hung out at recess and lunch and you also had to walk through it to get into/leave the school.

they ended up nailing warning signs to the trees as so many people were getting swooped.

I would always just wear a hat and if they did start attacking squint my eyes and run lol.

Umbrellas are a great idea as it gives you some space between the magpie and you. Paint a BIG face on top of the umbrella. If all else fails, swing the umbrella around wildly at it. I am not an animal cruelty advocate and love all animals however sometimes a fast moving object is just enough to scare them back to their tree.

We were always told to have hats with faces on top of them.. Apparently seeing a face/big eyes deters them? So definitely do this with the umbrella.

We were also told they hate the colour orange and yellow? I’m not sure how credible this is either but apparently they have colour triggers.

I used to just try and keep away from big trees. Evil things they are!! They scare me half to death.. lol 🙁 Good luck!!

I’m sorry but I couldn’t help having a bit of a laugh. I grew up in the country, & we were all attacked as kids, I guess I’m inured to it. Kids would ride past with icecream containers on their heads (before helmet laws).
You said one followed you home? Change your route. They’ve got good memories, the magpie _will_ remember you & go for you again.
Don’t panic! Protect your eyes & your baby’s face. Go out prepared – have a plastic cover over your pram or carrier.
Maggie season is only a few weeks. It’ll be over soon, good luck.

You must be brave misfortune. I have always been in the country. Grew up in the southern highlands and now live in the Riverina. I’m 27 and they still scare me half to death!! LOL
There is a sign outside my daughters preschool that reads “beware of swooping magpies!!”. And its a permanent sign nailed into the telegraph pole.
Makes me wonder why a sign had to be put up? Maybe there was an incident.

“Beware of swooping magpies” the sign reads?
I get a mental picture every time I see swooping buzzards on the forum. That’s something to be afraid of.

I know the feeling, i am attacked everyday on my run. They really dont choose who they want to attack, they do it too anyone, they are very protective mothers protecting their babies, this will pass, i know its very scary but they are doing what comes naturally to them like how we are as mothers. I went running the other day and a magpies claw got stuck to my cap, the cheeky girl, that was scary.

I agree to prepare, i agree with an umbrella and a plastic cover over the pram, whatever it takes to protect you and your bubba.

I’m sorry but I couldn’t help having a bit of a laugh. I grew up in the country, & we were all attacked as kids, I guess I’m inured to it. Kids would ride past with icecream containers on their heads (before helmet laws).
You said one followed you home? Change your route. They’ve got good memories, the magpie _will_ remember you & go for you again.
Don’t panic! Protect your eyes & your baby’s face. Go out prepared – have a plastic cover over your pram or carrier.
Maggie season is only a few weeks. It’ll be over soon, good luck.

You must be brave misfortune. I have always been in the country. Grew up in the southern highlands and now live in the Riverina. I’m 27 and they still scare me half to death!! LOL
There is a sign outside my daughters preschool that reads “beware of swooping magpies!!”. And its a permanent sign nailed into the telegraph pole.
Makes me wonder why a sign had to be put up? Maybe there was an incident.

I’m sorry but I couldn’t help having a bit of a laugh. I grew up in the country, & we were all attacked as kids, I guess I’m inured to it. Kids would ride past with icecream containers on their heads (before helmet laws).
You said one followed you home? Change your route. They’ve got good memories, the magpie will remember you & go for you again.
Don’t panic! Protect your eyes & your baby’s face. Go out prepared – have a plastic cover over your pram or carrier.
Maggie season is only a few weeks. It’ll be over soon, good luck.