Native birds swoop into spring

Magpies warbling is one of the most familiar and endearing sounds of Australian wildlife, yet the whirring and whooshing sounds of a swooping magpie approaching fills most with dread.

With spring now upon us, breeding season for native birds is underway, and so the swooping of unsuspecting humans and their pets begins.

“Bird swooping is part of life in Australia, as we share our environment with native wildlife,” said DELWP Grampians Regional Manager Compliance Operations, Nathan MacDonald.

“Swooping occurs every year during breeding season and is largely a defensive manoeuvre carried out by some male birds when we come within close range of eggs or fledgling birds,” he said.

Although birds swoop to protect their young, it isn’t pleasant for anyone caught in the crossfire, with swooping a possibility to cause injury.

“The swooping is seasonal, healthy bird behaviour and so, if possible, the best response is to keep away from the area,” said Mr MacDonald.

It is also illegal to harm native birds and offences can result in fines or imprisonment.

“It is up to us to co-exist peacefully with wildlife and respect it,” he said.

If you do end up in an area where there is a swooping bird, try to protect your head and eyes and move quickly through the area.

Information about swooping birds can also be logged on DELWP’s Swoop map.

Hotspots include in or around suburban parks with tall eucalypt trees.

To report a swooping incident by any species of bird on Victoria’s swooping bird map, visit delwp.vic.gov.au/environment-and-wildlife/wildlife/swooping-birds.