‘This is the only way’: Aussie’s trick to stop magpies swooping him

An Aussie comedian has revealed his unconventional method for surviving the most “terrifying” time of the year unscathed.

A comedian has revealed the simple trick he uses to stay safe from swooping magpies.

Most Australians are no doubt attuned to the dreaded sound of flapping wings, a harbinger of doom before a nasty peck to the head (or face) while unwittingly walking by a magpie nest.

There have been 3156 swoops already this season, which typically falls between August and November each year, according to Magpie Alert, and 412 injuries.

It’s a fate that can be avoided, TikTok user Lewis Spears advised in a video, by simply calming any flock of magpies you encounter with a few short whistles.

“Everybody worried about magpies this swooping season, you’re cowards,” he said.

“What you need to do is make friends with the birds. Watch this.”

Spears than elicited a series of whistles – prompting the magpies to move closer to him (concerning) – in a scene reminiscent of a Disney film.

“You’ve got to assemble an army,” he joked. “Get them on your team.”

A comedian has revealed the simple trick he uses to stay safe from swooping magpies.

The face of evil.

Judging by the comments on the clip, Spears is not the only one to employ the whistling technique.

“I swear by this,” one woman wrote.

“We rescued a magpie as a baby bird and now it’s like every magpie knows about it. I always say hello and whistle to them. It’s about the intention and the energy behind the whistle.”

“People joke but this does legitimately work,” another agreed.

“Don’t joke this is the only way and works, they won’t swoop the hand that feeds them,” a third said.

For those inept at whistling, another person suggested merely talking to a magpie will get it onside.

“They’ve very smart birds. Predators don’t make themselves known so by talking to them you show you’re not a threat,” they said.

A map of reported swoopings around Sydney so far this season. Picture: Magpie Alert

Bird Life Australia national public affairs manager Sean Dooley said that while being swooped is “genuinely terrifying at times” and “can result in some terrible injuries”, understanding the behaviour of magpies is a great first step towards avoiding being attacked.

“It’s very easy to think these birds have just gone crazy and they hate everybody, but we know from all the research in almost 100 per cent of cases it’s only the male magpies that swoop,” he said.

“Even then it’s only about 10 per cent that swoop … and it’s only in that window when there are baby chicks in the nest.”

Mr Dooley said negative experiences with people shape magpies’ perceptions, with the birds able to remember up to 30 faces within their neighbourhood and “stereotype” people.

“(It can) have flow-on effects for other people in the area … magpies will start swooping people who you look like,” he said.

‘Just walk calmly out of the swooping zone … and the swooping will stop.’ Picture: Nat Bromhead/Daily Mercury

Magpies only swoop within about 100 metres of their nest, with Mr Dooley advising people to move “quickly and calmly out of the danger zone”, emphasising there is “no need to panic”.

“Just walk calmly out of that swooping zone … and the swooping will stop,” he said.

“Walk back the way you’ve come until you can make sure that you’re out of the swooping zone. If people know they’re just defending their nest, they know the magpie isn’t going to keep chasing them.

“About the worst thing you can do is panic, run around and scream and try and retaliate.”

Mr Dooley said other measures such as eyes or spikes on the back of a bike helmet could “work sometimes” but was “really hit and miss – excuse the pun”.

“It can help but it’s not foolproof,” he said.

“If you are swooped, it does help if you’ve got, say, sunglasses or something that you can put on to protect your eyes just in case.

“Best advice is once you’re swooped, see where the magpie has gone to … keep an eye on that magpie. It might mean they’re less likely to go again because they know you’re watching it … you’re more able to avoid it if you can see it coming rather than a stealth attack.”

Originally published as ‘This is the only way’: Aussie’s trick to stop magpies swooping him