IS there anything more terrifying than the ‘whoop whoop whoop’ sound of a swooping, crazed magpie coming in hot from behind?
Such an encounter will have you on edge for weeks, ducking for cover at the sound of a nervous willy wagtail.
As spring swooping season takes flight across Victoria, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is reminding Victorians that with spring in the air, so too are swooping birds.
Native birds swoop to defend their young for six to eight weeks between when they hatch and when they leave the nest.
DELWP senior wildlife management officer, Therese Davis said, “Being swooped by a territorial bird is no fun, but this is just normal bird behaviour.
“The best way to avoid being swooped is to avoid the area all together, though this isn’t always possible,” Ms Davis said.
Tips to avoid being swooped:
- Know your local swooping hotspots
- Avoid the area
- Move quickly, but do not run
- Cover your head with a hat, helmet or umbrella and consider drawing a pair of ‘eyes’ on the back of your hat or helmet
- Do not harass or feed wildlife
Some hotspots in previous years include the Kialla Golf Club, Nugent Street in Shepparton and in or around parks with tall eucalypts.
To report a swooping incident by any species of bird, mark its location on Victoria’s swooping bird map by searching online for DELWP’s Swoop Map.
Importantly, magpies and other native birds are protected in Victoria under the Wildlife Act 1975, which makes it an offence to kill, take, control or harm wildlife.
