Magpie Attack!

"One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy".  The English poem about the European Magpie's supposed connection with prophecy is well-known.

That sort of whimsy is less evident in Australia, where the native magpie boasts a beady eye, a razor-sharp beak and a potentially villainous disposition.

A magpie:  he may be up to no good (photo ozladym.com)

They're also extremely common in the populated areas of the country, and if you call Australia home it's very likely that you have some living near your house.  For most of the year, magpie and mankind exist in perfect harmony, and many people will feed them when they visit their gardens.  But in the springtime - say from September through to November - it's magpie swooping season, when a small minority do their best to ensure that the rest remain unpopular all year round.

"Swooping season" sounds fun, but it's when some male birds become highly aggressive,  swooping down to attack people who approach their nests whilst they contain eggs or chicks.  It doesn't matter whether you're intending them any harm, and virtually all victims are entirely innocent of any magpie malice - most attacks occur 50 to 100 metres from the nest.  Simply walking nearby can be enough to trigger one, and passing cyclists are common targets.

Man v magpie: this time it's a tie (photo

sunshinecoastdaily.com.au)

It would be wrong to pretend that magpie attack is a major  danger.  No one that I've heard of cowers in their house for fear of being swooped.  The proportion of males who exhibit this behaviour is small - apparently beneath 9% - and their presence is welcomed by some people.  Their song is complex, and highly distinctive of Australia, and as in other countries they have been adopted as the mascots of sporting teams, particularly those who play in black and white.

But a magpie attack, if it comes, is highly disconcerting.  For one thing they prefer to attack the back of the head, which means that there is rarely any warning.  Very occasionally, an attack can have serious consequences - they can inflict serious injury and their habit of flying at cyclists has caused a death in one relatively recent case.  In the vast majority of cases, though, the worst that will happen is that you'll get a fright and have a story to tell, like this lady who experienced a swooping attack from a mynah bird (similar in effect, far less common in practice).

The cable tie technique (photo
http://www.singletonargus.com.au/)

What can you do about it?  Well, as a native species, magpies are protected by law, so if you take matters into your own hands and attempt to harm one you'll find yourself in a lot of trouble - even if it attacked you first.  Whilst some states do allow the authorities to execute delinquent birds, official policy is generally to catch and release them in unpopulated areas.  Meanwhile, many cyclists adopt a variety of defensive strategies which are supposed to help, though none is scientifically proven to be 100% effective.  As magpies don't like to attack people who are looking straight at them, some try to fool them with eyes painted on the tops of their cycling helmets or by wearing sunglasses on the back of the head.  Others reckon that a series of cable ties protruding vertically from the top of a bike helmet will distract them and at least keep them away from the face, though this technique is perhaps not recommended for the sartorially aware.  

Fortunately, most magpies won't attack anyone, and because it's not a year-round phenomenon the chances are it won't happen to you.  And remember:  unlike spiders, you're never going to have to remove them from the bathroom at 11pm at night.