Breeding season for swooping native birds has begun and is expected to continue until the middle of November.
Residents are advised to take extra precautions when outdoors during this period, as swooping birds can be present across urban and rural areas.
Many native birds, such as magpies and masked lapwings (also known as spur-winged plovers), are inclined to protect their eggs and young during breeding season. This protective behaviour can sometimes lead to an increase in swooping, especially in areas where people and birds coexist.
Residents can minimise the risk of being swooped by:
- Avoiding nesting areas where birds are swooping if possible or
- Protecting head and eyes and
- Moving through the area quickly.
While swooping birds can be alarming, the behaviour is confined to approximately 10 percent of birds and it’s rare for a bird to cause an injury.
Each breeding pair will also normally only swoop for four to six weeks until the chicks can fly.
All native birds are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, so please do not harm or scare swooping birds, or interfere with their nests.
Contact our Customer Service Team on 03 5272 5272 to report a bird swooping on City land. We will place warning signs at the site and assess the behaviour of the bird.
Councillor Peter Murrihy - Chair of the Environment and Circular Economy portfolio
We should be prepared to modify our behaviour during this period. Native birds are a vital feature of our natural environment and are rightly afforded legal protection.
Residents can use some simple measures, like protecting your head and either avoiding or moving through a breeding area quickly, to minimise the chances of being swooped.