By Peter Douglas
Time again to look skywards as magpie-swooping season pounces upon us, claws first.
This time last year around 16 hot-spots were logged around the Yarra Ranges region on the Magpie Alert website.
While it’s important to stay mindful wherever you’re located, it’s particularly the case around Yarra Glen (four reports), Mount Dandenong and Olinda (three reports), and Yarra Junction (three reports).
Reports were also logged at Toolangi, Seville, Macclesfield, Belgrave Heights and Ferntree Gully.
During swooping season, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is reminding Victorians that swooping is a part of magpies’ breeding behaviour.
DELWP senior wildlife officer Suriya Vij said the first incidents of the swooping season had been reported across Victoria over the past few weeks.
“Being swooped by a territorial bird is no fun, but this is just normal bird behaviour and, if possible, the best response is to keep away from the area,” he said.
“As the weather starts to warm up, birds start breeding and we want people to be aware of swooping birds.
“People should remember not to harm native birds, as they are protected.”
The Magpie Alert site suggests residents:
* Keep alert and pay attention for any magpie nesting sites.
* Keep an ear open for their distinctive calls.
* Remember, magpies are urban species, too, so there is generally no escaping them.
* If you do get swooped, tell others, log the attack on the Magpie Alert website.
* 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.
* Try to protect your eyes with your hands, those large beaks are very sharp and eye injuries have been recorded.
