Speaking of Australian Magpies

I found this on YouTube. It illustrates the situation perfectly!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A7Gw217EJ4"]Cycling during Magpie season Shellharbour Australia - YouTube[/ame]

That's pretty awesome!

It's why you often see cyclists wearing cardboard boxes over their helmets in magpie season.

It's kinda painful to get swooped by a magpie. Sort of like being hit in the head with half a brick... still, I don't mind. I reckon they're pretty amazing.

I heard about this on Tumblr and had to look it up. The experience must be so dreadful..being outside (in the heat at this time) when all of sudden you see these black feathered creatures come out from nowhere smacking into you! I'll pass on that haha

Though, Magpies are one of the prettiest birds (for me).

Thank you, Trish! That video is amazing, probably not so much
Fun for the cyclist. The magpie looks huge in the video.

We don't have magpies, but our local grackle flocks have organized target practice.

That was crazy! I felt like I was watching "The Birds"!

Hee! Glad to help, everyone. Not every magpie pair is as territorial as the one shown, but enough are to make magpie season a bit dicey for cyclists, dog walkers and door-to-door salesmen. Funniest thing I ever saw was a nun in full (black and white) habit being strafed by magpies. I feel I can laugh out loud at that memory because the nun in question was a great friend of mine and she laughed too, once she was safe from the maggies.

I suppose I shouldn't make light of the danger of magpie attack. They're big and hefty enough to cause real damage and those bills are pointy and hard. I guess they're a good bit larger than a grackle - more the size of a largish crow or raven. Really, all you have to do to protect yourself is wave your hands over your head or wear a cardboard box (preferably with big eyes painted on the back of it). Legend has it that magpies won't attack eyes. Yeah, right...

I've actually got a skydiving helmet with a dent in it from a sharp shinned hawk... apparently he had a female on eggs in our landing field and didn't appreciate that funny looking bird swooping over his nest.

So I can relate...

But I wonder why they chase bicycles... In my case, I was a percieved threat to the nest, and what animal wouldn't react to that one? What perceived threat would a bicycle pose?!

They don't single out bicycles, it's just that more people ride bikes near magpie trees than those who walk or drive cars. I think the speed of the bike might also have something to do with it, though. Maggies will also strafe any stupid dog, cat or Blue Tongue lizard that wanders too close to their nests. Oddly, they don't mind horses or cows.

I must admit I would do just about anything to have a magpie as a pet! I love that black and white look!

They make great pets because they're extremely intelligent. When my daughter was born, we had a family of magpies living in our yard and they gradually learned to cross the porch and come into the kitchen. They would snaffle bits of catfood when the cat wasn't looking. Then, one morning I heard my daughter bellowing from her bouncinette. Audacious (the head honcho magpie) was cheerfully trying to catch the ten little worms wiggling off the ends of her feet! After that, I had to keep them out.

When Audacious' children were old enough, they would dance around under my clothesline and swing on the hems of my drying sheets. One by one, each baby magpie would jump and catch the sheet with his feet, swinging away with all his brethren. It was absolutely hilarious to watch, what with fallings and missed opportunities and all. Once the babies got their adult plumage, though, they stopped playing and spent their days searching earnestly for catfood. And worms.

EAI said:

when all of sudden you see these black feathered creatures come out from nowhere smacking into you!

Click to expand...

unfortunately, you often don't see them, the first you know about it is the thwack on the head.

Ah Australia, place where babies can be nibbled on by magpies and it's no big deal.

Great video! Good he had his helmet on. I loved the Wagner Ride of the Valkyries music - it was so symbolic! The guy has definitely a good sense of humor! LOL