Why Do Magpies Swoop?

Magpies are really annoying when they swoop, and there are a lot of different explanations about why they swoop. So which one is true, why do magpies really swoop?

Like many animal behaviours, the swooping is connected to the breeding season, which is from late August to early October. Almost all the magpies that swoop are male and most attacks occur within 50 metres of the nest. The reason for the swooping is to protect the young in the nest and they have a number of different behaviours that escalate in intensity. First they will utter warning calls and then they will do distant swoops, to show the intruder they are agitated. If this doesn’t work then they will do close swoops where they fly past and snap their beaks, sometimes biting the person on the face. A last resort is to actually dive bomb the intruder, striking them on the head with their chest.

These attacks have caused serious injuries so look out for the warning calls and avoid nests if possible. Many people have resorted to putting cable ties on their bike helmets as this acts as a deterrent. Also, wearing a wide brimmed hat when walking during this season is recommended. However, the best protection is to be alert and to avoid nesting magpies.