Bloody Magpies

[Ryan Thomas]

These are pests, not native to New Zealand and dangerous. I've read about them attacking cyclists and some have fallen off their bikes due to it (Gebbies Pass was a location I read about) and just this morning I was going out of the way of a tree a path goes under at Sydneham park cause I saw a magpie in a tree and heard one swoop a few metres above me and fly back to its tree... Anybody had any terrifying magpie experiences?

[gllitz]

Well, it is spring time and they are starting to become territorial as mating season begins/has already begun? Not terrifying, by any stretch, but I saw a few on the golf course (Avondale) last weekend...one actually flew out of a tree and landed a few metres away from me "giving me the evil eye" to stay clear, so I did

[jamie]

I enjoy magpies... they have so much character. As i was growing up we had about 7 magpies around our house and garden. They would sing envery morning. While my sister used to play the organ one would tap its beek on the window and dance to the music. Another would sit on a pot next to a window and fly into the window as if he wanted to come in. around 7am every morning for a very long time.

I think there are still lots of them at mum and dads now even.

[NZstorm]

not native to New Zealand

That doesn't matter, the Magpie is an integral part of the New Zealand landscape.

Not terrifying, by any stretch

Magpie attacks are terrifying. I was attacked some years ago and it was a scary experience. I got a big fright first as I wasn't expecting it and then the bird kept coming at me at 100 miles an hour.

Reminds me, there are signs in Brisbane warning people about Magpies.

[NZstorm]

Sign about Magpies from Brisbane. Saw this last year when I was over there.

[tgsnoopy]

Magpies might be a pain... but have you ever had a run in with a Crow?

Here is the view we had of the River when I was in Brisbane for River fire at the end of August...

The close in picture was above 20x zoom.

Once he saw me and more importantly the glint from my camera lense it was all on.

Ended up making this awful noise as he flew past through our deck, too fast to get more photo's of him though.

I really hate crows and that horrible noise.

Crows are way bigger than magpies, which will land and hide if they intrude onto a crows territory.

This particular crow enjoyed taunting me and waking us at about 5.30am, good thing for me that it was about an hour after I normally got up Sorry Kath, who's from Sydney.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

We have magpies here and they do hassle the chooks. Even though I do dislike them, I love their sound.
Their sounds are so much rural, which made us move out here into the country.

JohnGaul
NZTS

[gllitz]

not native to New Zealand

That doesn't matter, the Magpie is an integral part of the New Zealand landscape.

Not terrifying, by any stretch

Magpie attacks are terrifying. I was attacked some years ago and it was a scary experience. I got a big fright first as I wasn't expecting it and then the bird kept coming at me at 100 miles an hour.

Reminds me, there are signs in Brisbane warning people about Magpies.

I wasn't trying to take away from your experience or anyone else's... I was just trying to say that MY experience last weekend was not all that frightful...

[Storm Struck]

Yes Magpies can be a pain at times but it doesnt mean we need to eradicate them.
You can actually train Mag Pies from young to become friendly and a household pet, I used to know a Family in Waikuku who had a Mag pie as a pet and it stuck around the house and was really friendly.
I think DOC have now given farmers permission to shoot them if they become of an annoyance to thier stock etc.
This is especially being looked into in areas where Native Birds are because the Mag Pies chase other birds away from thier natural habitat.
There actually is a sign in a park down the road from me which is put up during spring warning people of dive bombing Mag Pies.
I have had a chased experience through that park while biking lucky there was no peaking involved but it certainly made me change my course and having to bike around the outside of the park.
What ever you do if you see a Mag Pie in the next 3 months atleast (because some do still nest in December) then just make sure 1- You dont go near it or any of the surrounding trees and 2- Take off anything that is shinny ie watch, sunglasses.
Abit off Topic again but check out this Talking Tui in the North Island somewhere I Believe it is, amazing what you can teach a Bird to say.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqF33vc_q68
Cheers
Jason.

[borris89]

i had a magpie experience today actually, i was going for a walk up te mata peak and i heard this loud swoop noise go right past my head. i think the scary thing is that i coud see where it was coming from haha since i had to look where i was walking. i have a new hatred for those things now, lol.