Australia's Magpie Swooping Map 2023!

Australia's Magpie Swooping Map 2023!

Australia's social website to track aggressive swooping magpies in your area. If you are a cyclist, walker, runner or maybe a concerned member of the public then help protect others and share swooping magpie attacks on-line here!

2023 Attack Counts

 
1936
Attacks
 
231
Injuries
 

Selected: Australia

Beware resulted in injury!

Click a map pin for further information

Recent Attack details for Australia

1936 Results
Magpie attack on Cyclist - 117 Sternberg Cres, Wanniassa ACT 2903
I made eye contact with it sitting in a tree. It sharpened its beak on a branch and looked back at me and once I passed on my bike it relentlessly attacked me until I hit the safety of Erindale shopfront. Multiple helmet strikes. Again left my co-cyclist alone - why do they hate me?!, they don’t even know me. ????????
Injured:No

Reported by:

Magpie attack on Cyclist - Wantigong St at Mate St, North Albury NSW 2640
Attack started with a low level head on swoop and then persisted onto mate street all the way down to the intersection of mate street and Logan road. Didn't keep count of contacts on helmet. I've removed and modified the insert of a "bump cap" (oh s) and place it on my head with the helmet secured over the top of that. It took many hits. I was uninjured. Success!! I know this magpie has injured other people walking and cycling. Seemed like a good bird to test the hardware on. It was unnerving though not taking evasive action during the attack..
Injured:No

Reported by:

Magpie attack on Cyclist - 41 A23, Watson ACT 2602
Stopped at traffic lights. Bird flew from across the street with one long swoop. No contact or noise. Sat on top of a traffic light post and watched as a I rode away.
Injured:No

Reported by:

Magpie attack on Cyclist - P5MP 2M Majura ACT
Riding south on Majura Parkway bike path. Bird flew from above and made multiple swoops up and down. No contact but was very persistent.
Injured:No

Reported by:

Magpie attack on Cyclist - 37 Main St, Cowwarr VIC 3857
Repeatedly swooped riding bike along Main Street Cowwarr. Stopped swooping after removing bike helmet. Seems to be triggered by helmet particularly if yellow/orange. Also swooped by a different magpie on Gippsland Plains Rail Trail 1km south of Cowwarr
Injured:No

Reported by:

Magpie attack on Cyclist - P3FH MW Belconnen ACT
Aggressive, noisy, and persistent, attacked from the left descending the Bindubi St bikepath, adjacent to William Hovell Drive.
Injured:No

Reported by:

1936 Results

Swooping Magpie Safety Tips

Below is a short list of safety tips that we've collected over the past 7 seasons from our readers that may help with preventing and avoiding a swooping magpie attack. Visit the Swooping Magpie Safety Tips page a full list of tips!

  • If you are swooped while cycling get off of your bicycle, a large number of injuries reported on magpiealert.com are caused by accidents where cyclists fall off during an attack.
  • Keep an ear open for their distinctive calls.
  • It is important to try to stay calm, if you panic and flap then this is more likely to appear as aggressive behaviour and provoke a further attack.
  • Wear sun glasses and with large wide-brimmed hat to protect your head and eyes.
  • Face the magpie they tend to attack from behind so facing them should avert an attack. Remember to keep facing the bird as you walk out of their territory some birds will swoop as soon as you look away.
  • Warn other people where the magpies are swooping locally by registering the swoops with along with a description on our national mappie map!

Sign Up it's Free!

If you would like to contribute to magpiealert then please sign up. Benefits of signing up are:

  • Register swooping magpies in your area.
  • A personalised MagpieAlert home page showing attacks in your local area.
  • Comment on each others attacks.
  • Automatic alerting of new attacks in your area by email.
  • Adding your own stories to our stories and reviews section.

Magpies are protected throughout Australia, and it is against the law to kill the birds, collect their eggs, or harm their young. If you feel a magpie is a serious menace, it should be reported to your local council.

Register Swoopings!

"Whether you are cycling, walking, running, skateboarding or just in your back yard we want to hear from you! So please take some time and record your attack here. Editor, MagpieAlert

Record Your Attack Here!

How to post swoops

See our easy to follow guide for help on how to post swoops magpies on magpiealert.com

Help Guide

Please Donate!

If you find MagpieAlert useful and want to see the service next year then please donate a small amount to help me cover the costs. Thank you!

Donate

MagpieAlert in the News

We've been so busy this season, here's a collection of news articles and interviews with MagpieAlert.com.

See article MagpieAlert News

Your Stories

Jonny safe from cycling

I faced off against the M7 magpie and won!

I was on my usual 60km Sunday cycle route, cycling minding my own business when suddenly there was a snapping at my ear. I put my foot to the pedals and sped up, he came back for more and eventually gave up after about 150m.

Read what happens of my return journey...

Did my cable tied cycling helmet work?

Well did my cable tied helmet work? Having been attacked the previous week I'm not afraid to admit that I was a wee bit hesitant!

Read the full story here...

Add your own stories and reviews

We would very much like to hear from you if you have swooping magpie attack stories to share with Australia. Feel free to submit a review and pictures of your attempts to outwit and beat the magpies!

If you have any good tips then we will add them to our helpful safety tips sections.

Your submission will appear here and in our stories section.

Stories and Reviews

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