Magpies feeling peckish: swooping hotspots revealed
BIKERS, runners and pedestrians are looking to the skies in fear, as a familiar vicious, swooping menace returns for spring.
It is nesting season, and with that the magpie attacks have begun.
Just days into September there have been three reports of territorial magpies swooping Mackay, Whitsundays and Isaac residents on the website, Magpie Alert.
Reported incidents have occurred on Glenella-Richmond Rd, Glenella, on Brand Rd, Mirani, and on Shute Harbour Rd, Cannonvale.
No one is immune from the magpies' wrath, with reports of attacks on cyclists, pedestrians and young children.
Mackay Region councillor Ayril Paton said territorial magpies were a yearly problem.
"A small percentage of male magpies act aggressively in defence of their nests," Cr Paton said.
"These magpies will try to deter pedestrians and cyclists from approaching their nesting area by swooping, beating their wings, clicking their beaks and, in the case of more aggressive birds, occasionally pecking.
Cr Paton said the territorial fathers would guard 100m around the nest for the six weeks the chicks were still there.
Last year 32 attacks were recorded to Magpie Alert in the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday regions, and all but one resulted in injury.
The worst swooping hotspot was Sophia St, Mackay, where 11 separate attacks were recorded.
Cr Paton said council responded to requests regarding aggressive magpies on council land on a case-by-case basis.
Since magpies are a native Australian bird they are protected under the Nature Conservation Act , and it is illegal to harm the birds or their eggs.
Typically, Cr Paton said, the council would put up magpie warning signs where aggressive magpies have been reported.
"If an aggressive magpie is causing problems on private property, landholders are advised to contact the Department of Environment and Science," he said.
Nationally, Magpie Alert has received reports of 745 attacks, 88 resulting in injuries this year.
Scroll into your suburb to see the swooping hotspots in your neighbourhood.
Please note the interactive map may not function in the Daily Mercury mobile app.
Historically, the hotspots magpie's are known to target in the region include:
Mackay Central and CBD area
River St, near Macalister St, Mackay
Mangrove Rd, near Victoria St, Mackay
Shakespeare St, near Nebo Rd, Mackay
Sophia St, Mackay
Alfred St, near Brisbane St, Mackay
Shakespeare St, near Porter St, Mackay
East Mackay
Binnington Esp, East Mackay
West Mackay
Hume St, near Oates St, West Mackay
North Mackay
John Breen Park, North Mackay
The Gooseponds, North Mackay
Mackay Harbour
East Point Drive, Mackay Harbour
Mt Pleasant
Greenfields Shopping Centre, Mt Pleasant
Highway Plaza, Mt Pleasant
Bucasia
Jenvey Ct, Bucasia
Rural View
Kidston Ave , near Theodore Crescent, , Rural View
Marian
West St, near Staytes Rd, Marian
Bowen
Tollington Rd, near Cunningham Park, Bowen
Wests Ln, Bowen
Golf Links Rd, Bowen.
Data source: Magpie Attacks 2018
For more information regarding magpie safety and reporting incidents, visit https://www.magpiealert.com.
