Commuting - How do you deal with swooping magpies?

With spring well and truly here, the magpies are out in full force. Does anyone have any hints to stop them swooping? I've heard cable ties on the helmet can scare them off. Any experience with this?

12 gauge #6 shot

I was riding with my GF in Altona the other day and she had one swooping her. I had to tell here when to duck. One benefit of a helmet is that it also protects your head from magpies.

Paint big eyeballs on the back of your helmet (or get stickers). If they think you are looking their way, they won't swoop.

Why are they swooping? Are you in what they see as their territory? I was with a Pest Control company 18 years ago. We had a birth control formula for pigeons. Try booze or tranquilizers in magpie food then locate the stunned birds elsewhere, Canberra perhaps. They would fit in.

What about strapping one of those little deer siren thingies to your handlebars? I don't know how the magpies would feel about it, but I'm pretty sure birds hear in that frequency range.

I was riding with my GF in Altona the other day and she had one swooping her. I had to tell here when to duck. One benefit of a helmet is that it also protects your head from magpies.

That's assuming they don't target your ears. Personally I find a squirt from the water bottle over the shoulder is a good way to deter them. If that doesn't work, just find a busier road. Cars do tend to scare them pretty effectively. In fact, I've never once been attacked by a magpie while picking my way through the daily Bundall Road gridlock.

A can of mace which sprays in a fog pattern...aim it to be (far) above your head and watch the fun as they dive!

I had the same problem with some nesting gease. Fog patter mace works great. Just don't spray it up wind.

Having never dealt with a magpie I had to google. I found a site that recommended a bunch of different things from scarecrows to propane cannons. The only practical one for a cyclist was painting eyes (as mentioned already) and strips of mylar attached in a way that they blow.

My Cat rides on my shoulders...He takes care of those dive-bombing critters!!

In the US , I've had the rare black bird swoop on my while on a bike. As long as you have a helmet and sunglasses on, seems you are less vunerable. IS their a defense, a cyclist has very poor aim with a shotgun, while pedaling.

If that doesn't work, just find a busier road.

Actually, it was on the Nepean Hwy just beyond Beach Road on a weekend... average 4000-7000 cyclists per day according to Bicycle Victoria! Plenty of cars, too.

I saw a guy with a toy croc cable tied to his helmet (facing backwards) - scared me off, don't know about the birds!


Why are they swooping? Are you in what they see as their territory?
Yep, they get territorial in nesting season.

I recall reading that during the mating season the testicles of male magpies swell to something like 20 times their normal size. Apart from the discomfort :-) this means the bird is driven almost crazy by testosterone-induced instincts (and mood-swings), including its protective role.

from aus rec bike or summat

I just ignore them. In my experience, birds are extremely good at this and won't actually hit you hard enough to do anything.
I guess if they got to be too bad I might be tempted to bring my racquetball racquet with me on rides and take a swing or two.
I have a couple of handheld electric bug-zappers that look like plastic tennis racquets. If they were actually hitting my helmet I'd really consider running some conductive tape in alternating bands over the top and powering it up. Just to see what kind of noise they made when they got jolted.

The eyeball stickers on helmet sounds like something more realistic to try.

If they were actually hitting my helmet I'd really consider running some conductive tape in alternating bands over the top and powering it up. Just to see what kind of noise they made when they got jolted.

The eyeball stickers on helmet sounds like something more realistic to try.

I'm thinking live current that close to the head is a problem waiting to happen.

Picturing folks on bikes swatting wildly with raquets while getting dive bombed by birds makes me :lol:

12 gauge #6 shot

I was going to say go with a 20 gauge for the lighter recoil. :D

I recall reading that during the mating season the testicles of male magpies swell to something like 20 times their normal size. Apart from the discomfort :-) this means the bird is driven almost crazy by testosterone-induced instincts (and mood-swings), including its protective role.

Yep, a bunch of blokes getting together, all high on testosterone, and before you know it, they're doing stupid things with their peckers.

Sounds kinda familiar.

the testicles of male magpies swell to something like 20 times their normal size. Apart from the discomfort :-) this means the bird is driven almost crazy by testosterone-induced instincts

Avian Roid Rage?

Can you imagine the reprecussions?

http://www.whatsnextblog.com/archives/big_bird_down.jpg

I like the propane torch. I also like how this thread is turning into quite the expose' on Magpie testies and mating behavior. National Geographic has nothing compared to this forum!

one of the many reasons why I dont live in the country. Not much to do except find out where the birds are and avoid those spots forever more around this time of year.

12 gauge #6 shot

+1 :)

Are you sure that "6" is not upside down? I'd figure a 12ga #9 birdshot would stop any bird from messing with you unless it gobbles. :)

Haha I was about to say play some badminton or tennis. Try riding with a mate and play pong. ROTFL.


Zero_Enigma

I've got one outside my house that attacks me as I'm riding along the hill to my place. He's done it twice in a row.

These things are really persistent. They'll keep swooping until you get past them. They're a reasonable size bird, probably just a bit smaller than a crow.

Commute on one of these
http://www.water-wheels.com/images/kits/images/12.jpg
linkie (http://www.water-wheels.com/)

I'm thinking live current that close to the head is a problem waiting to happen.

Not really. It's several hundred volts but only a few milliamps. It'll only jump about 1/8". It isn't pleasant but it doesn't cause any harm. In fact on larger flies it only stuns them.

You'd have to keep from actually touching it if you didn't want a zap, but that wouldn't be much of a problem. If I were in an area where I had birds swooping at me that actually made contact, I'd probably give it a try.

Around here though the only thing swooping is martins, grabbing bugs from around me, and I like them; they're a real joy to watch.

I just ignore them. In my experience, birds are extremely good at this and won't actually hit you hard enough to do anything.
I guess if they got to be too bad I might be tempted to bring my racquetball racquet with me on rides and take a swing or two.
I have a couple of handheld electric bug-zappers that look like plastic tennis racquets. If they were actually hitting my helmet I'd really consider running some conductive tape in alternating bands over the top and powering it up. Just to see what kind of noise they made when they got jolted.

The eyeball stickers on helmet sounds like something more realistic to try.

Sadly, they do hit you. I have had one on the shoulder trying to hang on. It was really windy and it must have misjudged slightly and ended up clinging to my shoulder. It scared the .... out of me. On my MUP there is one section where if you are the loan rider you can guarantee to get a helmet strike every morning.

I use the little flashing lights and cable ties these days. They work.

Interestingly, my dad told me if you feed them - i.e., you are nice to them rather than thinking they are the enemy, they won't swoop you. They have a pretty good memory for shapes and remember who, what was nasty to them. Don't think they are quite smart enough to recognise you from every other cyclist, but none-the-less, feeding them might help all other cyclists too.

Having said that, I must confess to not having dropped off any breadcrumbs on my way to work....

Carry a flock of sparrows along with you and if the magpie attacks then release them. The sparrows will fly up and harry the magpie in the same way the magpie is harrying you. If you are concerned about the weight, don't be, sparrows are very light.

Interestingly, my dad told me if you feed them - i.e., you are nice to them rather than thinking they are the enemy, they won't swoop you. They have a pretty good memory for shapes and remember who, what was nasty to them. Don't think they are quite smart enough to recognise you from every other cyclist, but none-the-less, feeding them might help all other cyclists too.

Your dad is probably quite right. And having dealt with birds a fair amount, raising wild ones and doing bird rescue, I wouldn't be surprised if smarter ones like magpies couldn't identify you in particular.

Well, they might not attack you if you feed them, but aren't you worried they might start gathering in large numbers whenever they see you, fly around and demand food? That's how it sort of works with bears - if they learn to associate humans with food, they'll start coming to campsites and more or less demand to be fed.

Well, they might not attack you if you feed them, but aren't you worried they might start gathering in large numbers whenever they see you, fly around and demand food? That's how it sort of works with bears - if they learn to associate humans with food, they'll start coming to campsites and more or less demand to be fed.

That is precisely why there are signs in just about every National Park in the country telling people not to feed the animals.

Has anyone considered calling the council about these creatures? I know that here on the Gold Coast (at least in the urban area) you're extremely unlucky to get attacked by the same magpie on the same route twice because the council have usually moved them on to somewhere else within a matter of hours.