Swooping magpies select their targets for life, study finds
Magpies hold grudges and will swoop the same people time and time again, a new study has found.
With spring already here, cyclists are being warned to watch out for swooping magpies with the Griffith University finding they do not pick their prey at random.
It was often thought magpies swooped out of territorialism, but Professor Darryl Jones said magpies swoop when they feel their young have been threatened and know whom they are going after.
"They distinguish between different people," Prof Jones told 7 News.
"They know who they are and if they decide they're going to have a go for those people, they're the people every time."
Prof Jones said magpies tend to go after fast-moving objects like cyclists and motorbike posties and will continue to go after those people throughout their lives.
"If it's just a normal situation in the suburbs those magpies know all the people that live there," the prof said, adding the birds will live for around 20 years.
"They watch kids grow up, they remember if that kid threw a stick at them when they were five."
However, the behavioral ecologist said that only around 10 percent of magpies attack but every year victims lose eyes or left bloody from falling off bikes.
While it is not known exactly why birds select their victims, Prof Jones suggested if you live near a bombing magpie the best way to make peace with the bird is to offer it food.
Other options include dismounting from your bike, avoiding eye contact with birds or staying away from their nests if possible.
People are also encouraged to register bombing birds at magpiealert.com.au, which maps the birds across Australia.
National news break – September 2
