It's very scary and although I've never been attacked...I helped to fend off an attack on a young cyclist the other day.

Here's an interactive map where one can record an attack in any part of the country...

 https://www.magpiealert.com/Record-Magpie-Attack-Secure.php

.... always there at the right time - right place!  I commend you Thea - unbelievable!   :-)   

lol lol ..........

When my boys were little in the breeding season I had to avoid going through Perry Lakes as inevitably the Magpies would always swoop on one child only. He had dark hair whilst the other blond haired one they ignored - I could never see why they would be attracted to one and not the other? 

the m  aggies nest in the eaves of the hotel around the corner,    i see them all the time,  but so far none has swooped on me,    have heard they only swoop at breeding time,    dont know if thats true,    my husband is scared of them,     they seem to pick him out,   

The local park near my home has signs all around, "Beware - Swooping Birds".  My friend was attacked once and it pecked her on the eyebrow, lucky there was a local swimming pool , and the attendants gave her First Aid.

The magpies that live at our place and in our street never swoop. Seems if they know you they are not aggressive. I was swooped once when walking in a public area, hit in the back of my head by either claws or beak which caused bleeding. It hurt !! For some reason magpies seem to especially hate bike riders.

Our poor old Postie used to get a hammering every Spring. He was almost knocked off his bike a couple of times. I don't know if it was the sound of the motor bike or his bright yellow jacket that annoyed them. You could see him coming down the hill with two birds swooping at him. He used to say , "The bast....s, I wish I had a rifle".

Magpies like attacking the postie, cyclists and runners. They did some research recently and found out magpies recognise faces and usually with pedestrians, it's the same ones they go for,

I must somehow be an odd one out here, includes family, too; we have many breeding Magpies at the rear of our property, but never have they swooped on family or neighbours. Having said something which I know would not be believed, when the young have just started to fly, they congregate at the rear of our house as if to introduce their new flying family members!

Over the last 4 years, that introduction has continued; sometimes, though for a few minutes only, I have had parents and new flying Magpies be around me, at my feet, on our outside table, on the arm of my outside chair next to me, and no, I do not feed them. Magpies are one of many species that have come to our porch with no fear and settled next to me while I read my morning paper or magazine.

We have lived in Australia since 1970 and I can't remember my family nor I, ever being attacked by Magpies or any bird for that matter. I cannot explain this, it is what it is, and yes, I have seen them swoop at others, especially children, so I do know it happens during breeding season.

I do hope regardless of this habit, nobody ever harms any animal or bird; I love shooting, with my camera of course, and I have many photos of parent Magpies bringing their young to our porch, though I will never understand why when I never feed them, but I do talk to them, perhaps they understand what I say:)

Plenty of magpies in our area but I have never been swooped (touch wood) although have been followed a couple of times.  People feed the critters here so maybe they have accepted that humans will not harm them.  We had one guy recently who practically sat on my foot as I turned over the garden....so I kept the curl grubs and hand fed him when he came around.

Love magpies but understand that some are aggressive in nesting season.

I've never had a problem with magpies...they keep me company when I'm pruning my roses on the street side. They seem to also enjoy the company of the willy wagtails who now consider my garden their own.

Very scary watching someone being attacked though...

Hi Thea,

Love your beautiful flower :-)   I think the worst part about being attacked is that they always attack from behind and it's the fright that they give you at the time.  I got one hell of a fright and now carry an umbrella and put it up in the locations they are in so that I don't have to go through it again.  Very scary.  I've even resorted to waving my hands over my head at times when I've forgotten my umbrella!!  Some people must think I'm a bit crazy but better that than being attacked.

I have the Magpies here and they are very tame and loving and always bring their young to see me have done for many years -- same as all the birds here

depends on the area

i feed maggies regular in my backyard - they will only eat bacon fat. not only are they non agressive, they also get bullied easily by the lorikeets when i put food out for them.

however, growing up in the country, i have been bombed by maggies during breeding season often. they are very dangerous when they do that and should be avoided. your friend who got pecked in the eyebrow was lucky, the maggie was probably going for the eyes! no shit! i have heard of people losing an eye in this manner.

however if you get attacked, do NOT kill the bird. not only are they protected by law, but they only attack when they have young ones in the nest. if you kill them, their youngster becomes an orphan.

defence i used as a kid was to break a branch off a tree and hold it over my shoulder, thus protecting my head. it did the job for me. mostly they only "buzzed" me without making contact, but its kind of scarey when you hear a WHOOSH as it goes past your ear. 

i know it can piss people off, but be patient. after all, its their enviro too, and they were here long before we were. lets try and peacefully co-exist with them.