Let’s take a break from mammals to talk about another group of animals, Birds.
In particular, there is one species which lives all over Australia and you can read a lot about in the news in this period of the year, between September and October.
The reason why you find it in the news is its aggressive behaviour towards anything that pass through its territory during breeding season, including humans.
For the series “All Australian animals can hurt you, even if they are not venomous”, let me introduce to you the Australian Magpie!
But let’s start from the beginning.
Its scientific name is Gymnorhina tibicen, commonly known as magpie, because of the similarities with the European magpie (Pica pica), but they are not closely related.
These medium-sized birds, about 40 cm in length with a wingspan of 65-85 cm, live in many different habitats, including urban areas.
Females are usually bigger than males and the size varies among all the subspecies, based on the geographical zone. Southern Australian subspecies are bigger than northern ones.
Plumage colour varies too: males are black and white while females are black and grey, in some subspecies white or grey areas are limited to the back of their heads, in others it extends across the entire back.
The relationship between magpies and Australian people is actually better than it looks like. The word “tibicen” comes from Latin, it means “flute player” and it is because of these birds’ extraordinary singing skills, they are able to play a wide variety of complex sounds. They can even imitate other animals’ sounds and many people like listening to their songs.
Most recent studies showed magpies are highly intelligent, able to distinguish and recognize human faces, and solve problems using tools. With an average lifespan of 25 years, they become long-term presences in their environments and for people who live in the same areas.
There are some beautiful stories of people creating positive relationships with magpies, that regularly come close to homes and remember them.
So why do these birds make the news so often?
During their breeding season, their top priority is protecting eggs and offspring, and they will defend them at all costs.
For this reason, they can become very aggressive against anything they perceive as a threat within a 100-meter radius of their nest.
Given their presence in urban parks, their swooping attacks often hit humans, causing even serious injuries to the head and face.
There is a website, Magpie Alert, to report such attacks. Since the start of 2024, 3000 attempts and 400 injuries have been reported across Australia, with a peak between September and October, during the Australian spring.
While these numbers may sound alarming, it is important to note that only a small percentage of attacks cause severe injuries and they don’t attack every human indiscriminately.
The main targets are cyclists and scooter riders, as their speed is seen as a threat. Typically, males do the swooping while females stay at the nest, and only about 10% of males engage in this behavior, usually when provoked. It’s a significant waste of energy but necessary to protect their valuable offspring.
So, how can we avoid magpie attacks?
While there is no 100% safe way, there are a few things we can do to reduce the likelihood.
Most importantly, protect your head and eyes, wear a hat or a helmet and sunglasses, especially cyclists.
If someone has reported nests’ presence in some areas, there you will probably find warning signs. In this case, it is better to take another route or walk your bike to slow down. Sometimes, there are no signs and swooping attacks can be unpredictable, so keep walking quickly but don’t run, for the same reason we said for the bike.
Also, remember it’s not a good idea to fight back and try to stop the magpie aggressively, as it might provoke it further.
We already know these birds can recognize faces, so they might remember a negative encounter with you and keep swooping again and again. The best way is to stay calm and move regularly, as they don’t feel in danger and it can save you from unnecessary attacks.
If things get really bad, you might consider offering them food to be recognized as friendly and not dangerous. However, it is important to remember that feeding wild animals should always be your very last chance, if all other solutions fail.
I believe we can learn a lesson from these wonderful birds: they are usually peaceful animals, but they are willing to do absolutely anything to protect something really important for them.
What or who would you defend at all costs like magpies? Let me know in the comments below and keep following me!
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