dealing with magpies

ross_w wrote:

This is pretty much a question for Australian readers, unless
there are other countries with birds that get aggressive
during nesting season.

My problem is that my route to work takes me past a magpie
nesting tree. Last September these magpies attacked me every
time I went past this tree, and I have the dents in my helmet
to show for it. they tend to fly up and attack from behind
your head with their beaks.

Going down the hill is OK because I am gone before they notice
I'm there.

Coming back, I'm climbing in low range and it is more
difficult to escape.

Does anyone have ways that they discourage these attacks? I
have heard of painting large eyes on the back of the helmet
and using a visibility pennant higher than your head (they
attack they highest point apparently. Do any of these work?

Right now the birds are not nesting, but once winter is over
they'll be back, and I want to be ready for them...

Oh and magpies are protected in NSW, so solutions involving
the death or injury of the birds are probably not legal.

Cable ties protruding from the helmet seem to work. Make sure
that they are protecting your ears as well, and wear glasses.

If you've got the time, stop and look at the offending bird.
Unlike many other birds, a magpie will never swoop while you're
watching it (the theory behind the extra set of eyes glued to
the helmet - but they learn fast).

Sometimes staring at them for long enough seems to disuade them
from swooping when you set off again.

They don't seem to realize that pedestrians and cyclists are the
same species. Many will attack one but not the other, bringing
into question the effectiveness of making friends by feeding
them.

John

On Apr 8, 4:37 pm, John Henderson wrote:
ross_w wrote:
This is pretty much a question for Australian readers, unless
there are other countries with birds that get aggressive
during nesting season.

My problem is that my route to work takes me past a magpie
nesting tree. Last September these magpies attacked me every
time I went past this tree, and I have the dents in my helmet
to show for it. they tend to fly up and attack from behind
your head with their beaks.

Going down the hill is OK because I am gone before they notice
I'm there.

Coming back, I'm climbing in low range and it is more
difficult to escape.

Does anyone have ways that they discourage these attacks? I
have heard of painting large eyes on the back of the helmet
and using a visibility pennant higher than your head (they
attack they highest point apparently. Do any of these work?

Right now the birds are not nesting, but once winter is over
they'll be back, and I want to be ready for them...

Oh and magpies are protected in NSW, so solutions involving
the death or injury of the birds are probably not legal.

Cable ties protruding from the helmet seem to work. Make sure
that they are protecting your ears as well, and wear glasses.

If you've got the time, stop and look at the offending bird.
Unlike many other birds, a magpie will never swoop while you're
watching it (the theory behind the extra set of eyes glued to
the helmet - but they learn fast).

Sometimes staring at them for long enough seems to disuade them
from swooping when you set off again.

They don't seem to realize that pedestrians and cyclists are the
same species. Many will attack one but not the other, bringing
into question the effectiveness of making friends by feeding
them.

John

I have seen this too. There are a pair of magpies that nest in the
main st of Maitland. The council pruned the trees in spring last year
and left this one branch that had magpies nesting in it. I bet they
were surprised to have their hidden home exposed for all the world to
see...

Anyway these magpies have hundreds of people walking past in the mall
below every day and don't respond at all. Ride past on a bike
though...

So the council don't need rangers in the springtime to enforce their
"no bikes in high st mall" rule, the magpies do it for them.

I think it comes down to the familiar vs the unfamiliar. My parents
had a pair of magpies nesting in the big ironbark in their backyard.
She would feed them occasionally and they never touched us or anyone
emerging from the house. Kids walking past on the path outside the
fence were fair game.

Thanks to all for your suggestions. I will take a small bag of mince
with me now and then and hopefully come September the magpies will
know me well enough to leave me alone. If not, I'll try some of the
other suggestions.

In article , says...
datakoll wrote:

what does a magpie sound like?

http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/imag...na-tibicen.mp3
http://www.anbg.gov.au/sounds/magpie-group.mp3
http://www.anbg.gov.au/sounds/magpie.mp3

or...

"and Quardle ardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said"

.... as Dennis Glover wrote.

Mike

'Magpies are omnivores and eat most anything. So soaked cat/dog chow,
hard boiled eggs, fruit and insects would provide a decent diet in the
meantime.'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvidae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_gazza_ladra
I'm pleased the magpie is in the jay family. I have a group of jay
friends in the backyard calling for peanuts. Jays call, I crack
several peanuts, wet and put out on the feeder. Jays are intelligent
and conversational in sign/body language like crows. Crows are the
bird equivalent of an MLB 3B coach.
Today for the first time, I heard the jays talking to each other.
Feed the magpie, develop a positive attitude. Magpie are described as
commensurate. That attitude is what cycling should cycle thru, a mesh
with the environment.

On Apr 9, 10:11 am, datakoll wrote:
'Magpies are omnivores and eat most anything. So soaked cat/dog chow,
hard boiled eggs, fruit and insects would provide a decent diet in the
meantime.'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvidaehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_gazza_ladra
I'm pleased the magpie is in the jay family. I have a group of jay
friends in the backyard calling for peanuts. Jays call, I crack
several peanuts, wet and put out on the feeder. Jays are intelligent
and conversational in sign/body language like crows. Crows are the
bird equivalent of an MLB 3B coach.
Today for the first time, I heard the jays talking to each other.
Feed the magpie, develop a positive attitude. Magpie are described as
commensurate. That attitude is what cycling should cycle thru, a mesh
with the environment.

Dropping some mince for these ones as I ride past may be a good
strategy. The plan is to start now, and hopefully by the time nesting
season starts they will not regard me as a threat, which appears to be
in line with what you are suggesting.

Just a point though, you are referring to a different magpie. The
Australian one is Artamidae not Corvidae. Artamidae includes
butcherbirds, Australian magpies and currawongs. The Australian Magpie
looks similar to the European one, and that's how it got its name.
They are also well known for being aggressive during the nesting
season, bearing in mind they are only protecting their families the
best way they know how.

Now the three rottweilers that have been seen loose near the same
location in Aberglasslyn Rd... Well it's the contents of the water
bottle in the face for them! (and pedal faster) followed by a chat
with the owner.

On Apr 9, 10:11 am, datakoll wrote:
'Magpies are omnivores and eat most anything. So soaked cat/dog chow,
hard boiled eggs, fruit and insects would provide a decent diet in the
meantime.'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvidaehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_gazza_ladra
I'm pleased the magpie is in the jay family. I have a group of jay
friends in the backyard calling for peanuts. Jays call, I crack
several peanuts, wet and put out on the feeder. Jays are intelligent
and conversational in sign/body language like crows. Crows are the
bird equivalent of an MLB 3B coach.
Today for the first time, I heard the jays talking to each other.
Feed the magpie, develop a positive attitude. Magpie are described as
commensurate. That attitude is what cycling should cycle thru, a mesh
with the environment.

Dropping some mince for these ones as I ride past may be a good
strategy. The plan is to start now, and hopefully by the time nesting
season starts they will not regard me as a threat, which appears to be
in line with what you are suggesting.

Just a point though, you are referring to a different magpie. The
Australian one is Artamidae not Corvidae. Artamidae includes
butcherbirds, Australian magpies and currawongs. The Australian Magpie
looks similar to the European one, and that's how it got its name.
They are also well known for being aggressive during the nesting
season, bearing in mind they are only protecting their families the
best way they know how.

Now the three rottweilers that have been seen loose near the same
location in Aberglasslyn Rd... Well it's the contents of the water
bottle in the face for them! (and pedal faster) followed by a chat
with the owner.

AMAZING INTERNET Google Earth gives a view of your town/road and

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/dse/nrenpa...256C290005F61B

try pepper spray on the Rotts

On Apr 8, 1:21 pm, datakoll wrote:
bad karma?
where's your status amung animals ? positive?
try feeding the magpie.
can you whistle? whistle a tune on your approach. something cheerful.
christmas tune does it. do aussies whistle "jingle bells"? a favoirte
here at consumerville.
what does a magpie sound like? whistle magpie and JB
change your smell and helmet color when you start whistling and
feeding the birds.

Alternatively, stop, look around for animal liberationists, draw a
slingshot from your pocket (sustainably built from an old tube), pick
up a handful of pebbles, stalk the f*cker and when it stops, nail it
up the jacksy. Repeat. "You may take the slingshot from my cold, dead
hand".

Unfortunately, DK, the psychological/genetic/whatever damage is
already done on these rogue birds. The worst need to be removed.

Donga

On Apr 9, 11:41 am, datakoll wrote:
AMAZING INTERNET Google Earth gives a view of your town/road and

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/dse/nrenpa...7C25F04F89BCA2...

try pepper spray on the Rotts

This is the exact spot
http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?ie...671661002c 5e

Mike Elliott wrote:

Gracious me -- I've never been attacked by birds before,
walking or riding (I live in SoCal). I imagine it could be
quite alarming if unexpected! Is that the main issue, the
surprise and pest factor? No actual damage done to one's body?

While it's very unusual, and mostly limited to the very young or
very old, people have suffered significant damage to eyes in
attacks by Australian magpies. They approach silently from
behind, and it's reasonably common for them to draw blood from
scalp or ears unless fended off.

Only certain magpies attack humans (maybe 10% to pluck a figure
out of thin air) during nesting season, and cyclists seem more
likely to be attacked than pedestrians.

I believe I've seen magpie parents instructing near-fully-grown
young which targets to attack. On the other hand, magpies
which are fed by people also tend to "introduce" their young to
these human friends in a very close and trusting manner.

John