Top 10 Angry Birds – 2025 National Swoop Report
Each spring, Australians log thousands of swooping magpie encounters on MagpieAlert.com. Using 2025 reports, we've identified the ten most angriest magpies in the country, ranked by injuries and total swoops. Remember: each “bird” below represents a single magpie territory of around 200m radius.
1 — Ormond Park (Pattison St, Moonee Ponds VIC)
33 swoops, 15 injuries
Behaviour: This notorious bird targets cyclists along the shared path, with many reports of hits
to the face, neck and ears. Several riders described bleeding injuries or near-crashes after being struck.
Advice: Cyclists should avoid the Pattison St stretch during nesting season or dismount and walk
through, wearing a helmet and ideally ear protection.
Repeat offender: Yes — historical reports from nearby in 2014, 2016, 2021–2024.
2 — Adamstown Station / Park Ave, Adamstown NSW
13 swoops, 10 injuries
Behaviour: This bird has a fierce dislike for commuters and cyclists using the station approaches.
Most swoops occur near the access paths, with repeated blows to heads and ears of passing riders and walkers.
Advice: Walkers should secure loose hats and stay alert near the station; cyclists are best to detour
via quieter back streets in spring.
Repeat offender: Yes — historical reports from nearby in 2015, 2018, 2020–2024.
3 — Ferny Grove Rail Trail near Samford Rd, Ferny Grove QLD
11 swoops, 8 injuries
Behaviour: Attacks concentrate on pedestrians and joggers along the rail trail. Victims frequently
report strikes to the face and head, sometimes drawing blood as they enter the tree-lined section near Samford Rd.
Advice: Joggers and walkers should slow down, wear a hat or helmet, and consider detouring via Archdale Rd
until the season is over.
Repeat offender: Yes — historical reports from nearby in 2019, 2022, and 2024.
4 — Princes Park (North Carlton VIC)
9 swoops, 7 injuries
Behaviour: This bird focuses on parents and children entering the park. Several reports describe low swoops
at pram height and pecks to faces and heads.
Advice: Families should avoid this entrance during peak nesting weeks, carry small children, and consider
helmets for older kids.
Repeat offender: Yes — historical reports from nearby in 2017, 2020–2024.
5 — Parry St, Cooks Hill NSW
7 swoops, 7 injuries
Behaviour: A ruthless short-range attacker: every recorded swoop in this hotspot resulted in an injury.
Victims describe sudden, painful hits to the back of the head and neck.
Advice: Avoid Parry St during spring or travel quickly in groups; if you must pass, a helmet and sunglasses
provide useful protection.
Repeat offender: Yes — historical reports from nearby in 2016, 2019, and 2023.
6 — Cremorne Point Foreshore (Hodgson Ave, NSW)
8 swoops, 6 injuries
Behaviour: This waterfront magpie defends a nest near the foreshore path. Dog-walkers are frequent victims,
with swoops aimed at ears and hands as people try to shield themselves or their pets.
Advice: Keep dogs on a short lead and consider carrying an umbrella or hat through the canopy sections.
Repeat offender: Yes — historical reports from nearby in 2015–2024.
7 — Charles Pl, Gordon ACT
5 swoops, 5 injuries
Behaviour: A highly defensive bird attacking pedestrians in suburban streets. Reports describe forceful,
direct strikes to heads and faces.
Advice: Locals are advised to wear a hat and sunglasses when walking in the area and to reroute their regular
walks during nesting season.
Repeat offender: Yes — historical reports from nearby in 2017, 2020, and 2023.
8 — Coastal Path near Shellharbour NSW
6 swoops, 5 injuries
Behaviour: This bird ambushes cyclists and walkers along the coastal path, often making close facial strikes
and attempting to unseat riders.
Advice: Cyclists should dismount and walk through the known hotspot, while walkers keep children close and
avoid stopping under trees.
Repeat offender: Yes — historical reports from nearby in 2018, 2021–2024.
9 — Parkland near Moggill Rd, Indooroopilly QLD
6 swoops, 5 injuries
Behaviour: This magpie defends its parkland territory aggressively against dog-walkers and pedestrians. Victims
describe wing slaps and beak strikes to hands and arms while shielding their faces.
Advice: Avoid walking dogs during early morning peaks if possible; carry a hat or umbrella for added protection.
Repeat offender: Yes — historical reports from nearby in 2016, 2019–2022.
10 — 33 Albert St, Rockhampton City QLD
5 swoops, 5 injuries
Behaviour: This determined attacker swoops low and close on walkers around Albert and Kent Streets, and some
reports mention the bird pursuing people well beyond the immediate nest area.
Advice: Walkers should avoid the corner during spring or move quickly between cover, staying aware of the bird’s
approach path.
Repeat offender: Yes — historical reports from nearby in 2014, 2018, and 2024.
2025 Swoop Season – National Charts
As another magpie swooping season draws to a close I thought you may appreciate some stats we've gathered this season. The charts below summarise how the 2025 swooping season looked across the country, including where swoops were most concentrated and who was most likely to be targeted.
Magpie swooping attack counts each week 2025
This year swooping appears to have started right on schedule across the majority of our states compared to the previous 6 year average. All states started in line with the 6 year average but then had steep increase mid August. Overall numbers remained higher than normal over this season with approximately 1000 more swoops being reported this year - can we draw any conclusions from this? Probably not, this year I sent out a reminder email to you in the first week of August! We can see that swoops start dropping off in line with the average. The season is not completely over and the website is still receiving one or two swoops a day, but it is pretty much done.
At time of writing this email there have been 4739 swooping magpies registered with 567 (11%) causing injuries, down 2% on last year.
Magpie swooping attack counts by State 2024
2025 Swoops by State — Total swoops and injury percentages for each state and territory. NSW and QLD record the highest totals, but every jurisdiction shows a mix of minor and injury-causing attacks.
2025 Swoops Normalised by Land Area (per 1,000 km²)
To understand where swooping risk is most concentrated, the table below adjusts 2025 swoop counts by state land area. This shows how many swoops occur per 1,000 km² in each jurisdiction.
| State | Area (km²) | 2025 Swoops | Swoops per 1,000 km² |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | 2,358 | 797 | 338.0 |
| NSW | 801,150 | 1,206 | 1.5 |
| NT | 1,347,791 | 0 | 0.0 |
| QLD | 1,729,742 | 1,048 | 0.61 |
| SA | 984,321 | 240 | 0.24 |
| TAS | 68,401 | 7 | 0.10 |
| VIC | 227,444 | 1,228 | 5.4 |
| WA | 2,527,013 | 164 | 0.065 |
The table uses: Swoops per 1,000 km² = (Swoops × 1000) / Area
While New South Wales and Victoria reported the largest total number of swoops, the ACT again stood out when swoops were normalised by land area. Its compact urban–bushland layout produces a much denser concentration of swooping hotspots than any other state or territory, giving ACT residents the sharpest exposure to swooping magpies in 2025.
When I publised the Top 10 Angry Birds last season I also asked if you could donate a small amount towards my 3 day, 400km, Tour de Cure cancer charity ride. With your help I managed to raise $5400 to the Tour de Cure and PanKind cancer charities!! Many thanks!
If you are interested here's the 4 minute video of the event.
Thank you for being part of MagpieAlert this season and for sharing your reports with the community. Every submission helps others stay safe and lets us track these birds more accurately each year. I really appreciate your continued support and involvement. So a big THANK YOU from me!
Kind regards,
Jon Clark
Magpie Alert Founder, Coder & Administrator
Ways you can help?
Many of you may be surprised to find that Magpie alert is not a business and brought to you each spring as a hobby service that I run part-time and fund it myself. If you find MagpieAlert useful and would like to thank me, then please gift me a small amount and it will help me cover the ever increasing costs. Thanks!