BY RANGER STACEY THOMSON, PRINCIPAL ADVISER – COMMUNITY EDUCATION (REDLAND CITY COUNCIL)
Nature’s calendar features wonderfully wild events that automatically pop up around the same time each year – masses of red crabs marching across Christmas Island, turtle nesting season at Mon Repos, and the epic migration of humpback whales.
Closer to home, a natural phenomenon is about to kick off – Swooping Season! While this news may not be music to everyone’s ears, it’s important to understand the primary reason for this dramatic behaviour.
Magpies, plovers, and bush-stone curlews will go to extreme lengths to protect their precious offspring from potential danger. As a parent you’d do the same for your babies, right? Okay, minus the flapping of wings and clapping of beaks.
I’m a fan of magpies (and I don’t mean the footy team). I enjoy their melodic songs, admire their smart black and white plumage, and marvel at their curiosity and intelligence. They’re smarter than the average bird, capable of human facial recognition, but the thing I admire most about them is their dedication as parents!
Nesting season is July to December. Interestingly, magpies aren’t ‘born swoopers’. It’s a defensive behaviour they learn after a negative interaction with people. That’s why only a small percentage of magpie dads swoop.
Some target specific humans like cyclists or posties, while others aren’t fussy, swooping anyone who enters the defence zone (up to a 150-metre radius of the nest). If you’ve ever been the target, you’ll appreciate the nickname ‘feathered torpedo’! This behaviour lasts around six weeks while mum takes care of eggs or chicks in the nest.
To stay safe and let these sometimes overzealous parents of the bird world raise their babies, it’s pretty easy to modify our behaviour.
- Avoid the area if you can and temporarily change your route.
- Wear a hat and sunglasses or use an umbrella.
- Get off your bike and walk on by.
- Decorate your helmet and bike with spikes and a flag.
I know plovers and bush-stone curlews would also appreciate the same consideration. Remember, it won’t be long before swooping season is over for yet another year.
Until next time … Stay Wild!
Ranger Stacey
