this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2025
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These birds are called magpies.
At this time of year their young are hatching in their nests and the parents get hyper-sensitive to people coming anywhere in the vicinity of the tree.
Usually they just swoop down and snap their beak near your head as a warning. Sometimes they claw at your head. Occasionally they get very aggressive and peck at you.
I've never been hurt by one, and don't know of anyone who has. The groundsman at my school got pecked on the cheek once. No big deal. It's really just the shock. When you're walking along minding your own business and suddenly under attack it's very jarring.
The best defense is to just watch them. They won't swoop if you're looking at them. Mum and Dad will flank you so you can't see them both though. I've heard people say that if you feed them they will remember you and be nice but I think that would take a lot of effort.
Actually surprisingly easy, I have three sets of maggies on my cycling route atm (they love to swoop bikes) and a large bag of jerky (lasts a whole season) in my handlebar bag, which I break up into little pieces. It takes two or three feeds for them to remember you for years, although I enjoy feeding them these days. There's a reason they're called the black and white mafia, it's a protection racket, but they're honorable.
Fair enough. I didn't know that. The ones in our neighbourhood know us because we do feed them occasionally and give them nesting material et cetera.