Scary bike ride today. I was attacked by some stupid bird. Research on the internet made some things clear to me: “For most of the year magpies are not aggressive, but for four to six weeks during nesting they will often defend their territory vigorously. People walking past may be seen as ‘invaders’ of the territory, prompting the magpies to fly low and fast over the person clacking their bills as they pass overhead.
The experience of a magpie attack can be quite alarming, but it is usually only a “warning”. Only occasionally will a bird actually strike the intruder on the head with its beak or claws. If this unusual behaviour persists, there are ways of reducing the risk of physical injury to humans.
The usual solution is to get some big eyes from an art supplies or toy shop and stick them on the back of your bike helmet as magpies always attack from the rear. If you are a pedestrian you can make a helmet out of a coloured icecream container with large eyes stuck on the back. Chinstrap optional.
is this a magpie????
The colors seem to be reversed… Should they have white feathers on the edges and be black towards the body?
I picked up a magpie chick that was on the ground. There were lots of cats around the apt. complex. The parent birds wre only several feet away. They were totally unhappy. But neither parent bird attacked me. They voiced their disapproval. And hit the tree that they were in with their beaks very hard. They did not attack. I placed the chick in the tree where the parent birds. And everyone was happy. I felt good as I had saved the chick from the cats. So if a magpie won’t attack to protect their young. I can’t see them attacking a person while walking or riding a bike. I live in Edmonton, Canada and I love all wildlife.
magpie attack only irritating dutch immigrants, flemish like to do it too and other europeans also. We love Magpie