I've never been swooped by Australian Magpies at our place but in the last week or so a pair of Black Kites have been harassing my head as I go about my outside work. On 5 or 6 occasions I've been swooped by one or the other Kite. As yet I haven't found a nest they're probably protecting.
That would be an intimidating swoop!
Funny the atavistic response we gt to being swooped. There is a noisy miner that swoops me regularly on my way to work, and even without seeing the bird or thinking about it my neck often prickles as I get close to the spot.
Very true, Alex. Even out of breeding season I'm very wary as I approach a place on the Encounter Bikeway at Goolwa where I've previously been swooped by a Magpie. I think Pavlov's dogs might have something to do with it.
I would almost see it as an exciting encounter, even feel privileged, other than the fact I reckon they could do some damage.
We get swooped by the Masked Lapwings where I live. We don't have either Magpies or Noisy Miners in the immediate vicinity, although they can be found within a few kilometres of here.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Good one, Dale. I must admit I was too busy avoiding them to think about any privileges they might have been offering me. However, it wa sawesome to have them come so close several times that I could feel the rush of air from their wings. In late winter when they returned after an absence of several months they would often circle me when I was out walking or working. I put it down as curiosity then but now I'm wondering if they were watching lest I interfere with their nest spot searching or nest building.
All in all it's wonderful to have them around.
Those spur winged plovers can do some damage!
The only significant damage I have ever received was from a Laughing Kookaburra ... stealing a chip as it reached my lips. Painful & bloody but I blame the idiots who trained it to fancy chips! Swooping birds protecting nests, I can understand & appreciate.
Well, well. This morning I encountered 3 Black Kites harrassing a pair of Little Eagles. I unsuccessfully tried to determine if one of the Black Kites was a juvenile by checking for fine striations on its front. When I turned to walk home the Black Kites broke off their harrassment of the Little Eagles & followed me all the way back to the house. No attempts were made to swoop me unlike a couple of days ago. I've still been unable to locate any nest.
Nice experience woko, they might be getting used to your presence, realising that you offer no threat.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania