“When the chicks have hatched, up to when they leave the nest, is when you see the bulk of the swooping behaviour,” Castley says. “It's the birds responding to things they perceive as threats. That includes humans, dogs, cats, snakes and anything else the magpie decides is a threat to its chicks.”
Magpie swooping is generally a defensive action taken when someone unknown approaches who the magpie believes intends harm. It is not an arbitrary attack.
Instead, it is widely believed that they swoop purely to protect their young. Although they may not be enraged by certain colours, magpies that swoop tend to target specific types of people. For instance, some magpies will only swoop cyclists, while others will target pedestrians.
Unfortunately, some individual magpies perceive humans as a potential threat and accordingly, swoop down with a fast warning flight, occasionally making contact. Only a small number of Australian Magpies behave like this, and some of these aggressive magpies will only swoop on particular people.
“Only 10 per cent of the male magpies actually swoop people and the research suggests it is actually a learned behaviour,” Dooley says. “These birds might have had a bad experience with humans in the past, and they remember that and swoop when humans come near their nest.”
If a magpie tries to swoop you, bend your elbow and bring your forearm close to your head to protect your face. Once your eyes are covered, look down and walk away calmly. Cyclists should also dismount their bikes and proceed on foot through a magpie's attack zone.
Like dogs, magpies seem to sense fear and may capitalise on this by pressing on with harassing any perceived threat. Occasionally, a magpie will actually strike an intruder on the head with its bill. While such strikes are rare, magpies can inflict serious injuries.
Magpies are smart, extremely territorial and will swoop riders from up to 100m away from their nest.
They are considered a messenger of good luck and are known as “birds of joy." For instance, if you see a magpie or if a magpie builds a nest near your home, that may be an indication and positive omen of incoming success and good news.
Although magpies will peck around in the soil looking for insects, the main garden damage is done to the lawn where they create holes while looking for grubs, such as leatherjackets and chafer grubs. That being said, magpies are a useful control for these two root-eating plant pests.
The most common Magpie superstition is the bad luck of seeing a Magpie alone. Magpie rhyme: 'One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for secrets to never be told. '
Magpies are really quite lovable and it is easy to learn to live with these wonderful birds. A magpie friend is a good friend to have, particularly in the garden where it will eat up all your grubs!
"If you're getting swooped, the main thing you want to do is try to quickly and calmly move out of their space," Ms Campbell said. "Usually, they only swoop 100 metres around their nest so generally if you move away quickly and calmly, they will stop swooping you.
Sometimes they appear as a sinister omen, but equally often as a friend. In the UK, a lone magpie is considered especially ominous and it is commonplace to voice a respectful enquiry as to the health of its wife and children. Conversely in China and Korea magpies are seen as bringing good luck.
Magpies don't like shiny things, in fact they fear them | SBS News.
Magpies can remember faces and hold grudges. Researchers in Brisbane, Australia have found that magpies will remember facial features and target those individuals. The research involved an individual in a mask, coming close enough to nests to make the magpies feel threatened.
According to all the info, magpies will follow us and find out where we live, no matter what route we take home. Also, they can remember a face for up t five years… Basically, you're going to have a stalker for five years, waiting to swoop you once swooping season comes 'round.
People are told that he/she should salute or wave at a magpie to show respect. Some also believe that greeting the bird also helps to fend off bad luck. The superstitions are considered so serious that some people wink when they see a single magpie to believe that they saw two magpies.
The common magpie is one of the most intelligent birds—and one of the most intelligent animals to exist. Their brain-to-body-mass ratio is outmatched only by that of humans and equals that of aquatic mammals and great apes.
Mr Dooley says the one “foolproof” way to make sure you're not swooped is by feeding magpies. “That's the way to a magpie's heart,” he said. “You don't want to give them junk food … fresh meat is the best or even dog biscuits, especially if they're soaked in a bit of water.”
Encountering one of the distinctive black and white birds can herald bad luck - and legend has it that various steps must be taken to fend off the evil spirits. Yet no-one knows why magpies are associated with bad tidings in some cultures, while in others they are deemed to be a sacred bird, which brings happiness.