“Australian magpies frequently engage in swooping attacks on humans during their nesting season, which occurs between September and November.”

The Australian Magpie (Cracticus tibicen) is a common bird found in urban Australian environments where its nest defense behavior during spring brings it into conflict with humans. The results confirm that stories about these birds are primarily published in the daily regional and weekly suburban press, and that the dominant story frame concerns the risk of “swooping” behavior to cyclists and pedestrians from birds protecting their nests during the spring breeding season. However, although in the city of Brisbane, for example, 85 percent of residents may have experienced a magpie attack, in the only study examining magpie attacks on humans, Jones and Thomas report that few magpies actually attack humans; their 1999 study of 59 magpie breeding pairs found that only 11 individual birds, all of them male, were aggressive towards humans.

It's magpie swooping season in South Australia. But why do magpies swoop and how can you avoid a nasty run-in? Swooping occurs during the breeding season, typically in spring.

Spring in Australia signals the breeding season for the iconic native Australian magpie, during which male birds may swoop to protect their nests. Swooping usually occurs between August and October, although exact timing may vary depending on the locality. This behaviour is not random aggression; instead, the bird perceives certain humans and animals as potential threats; cyclists and mail deliverers are more likely to be swooped than pedestrians.

Australian Magpies are infamous for their swooping behaviour. Magpies are starting to nest around Australia – which means swooping season is here. But despite their reputation, magpie attacks are relatively rare – less than 10% of males swoop people, and research suggests it’s a learned behaviour.

Breeding season for maggies runs from about August to October. Females usually lay between three and five eggs before sitting on them for about three weeks until they hatch. During this time, male magpies take up the role of the protector, with some using swooping as a tactic to defend their nests.

Venturing outside is about to become an exercise in risk management for many Australians as magpie swooping season sets in on September 1. For about four weeks at the beginning of spring each year, Australians are warned to avoid appearing as a threat to the highly territorial birds which will swoop at anything they deem a danger to their eggs. This swooping behaviour is limited to the four weeks while the female magpie is sitting on the eggs.

Magpies this year have already claimed one high-profile victim with the Japanese ambassador to Australia tweeting a message to the feathered ...

In Australia, there were 4,500 reported magpie attacks in 2021, and 3,300 in 2022, of which approximately 13% resulted in injuries. They occur during magpie breeding season, which is from August to October, however both of these cases occurred in July 2023. The birds ‘swoop’, i.e. dive down to peck at humans, normally targeting the faces and in particular the eyes; magpies are very territorial, especially during breeding season, and will attack when they feel threatened.

It's magpie swooping season! If you are cycling, running or just in the park, register swooping magpie attacks here and help protect people across Australia!

Australian magpie swooping on humans is a well-documented seasonal behavior primarily during the spring breeding and nesting period, typically from late August/September to November/early December, varying slightly by region in Australia. While thousands of incidents are reported annually, studies indicate only a small percentage (around 10%) of breeding males engage in swooping, targeting perceived threats like cyclists near nests.