Aussie man’s funny way to prevent magpies swooping
Spring means swooping but one Aussie man says he has a quirky technique that not only prevents the dreaded magpie swoop, but builds a connection with our feathered friends. How does he do it?
READING LEVEL: GREEN
It is the low-flying hazard that is such a part of Australian culture that a Bluey episode was devoted to it.
With spring finally here, Aussies are bracing for aerial* attacks from dive-bombing black-and-white birds as magpie swooping season begins.
However, while cyclists, scooter riders and passers-by prepare themselves for the avian* onslaught, a self-described “magpie whisperer” from South Australia believes he has figured how to avoid being swooped.
Adelaide man Mark Muscat, known as The Magpie Man, said he has built a lifelong rapport* with the mischievous birds and has a proud record of avoiding swoops.
The 66-year-old grew up around magpies and said that as a child, one bird even seemed to adopt his family, becoming a regular visitor to the family homestead.
Mr Muscat now believes this early experience has given him the ideal way of avoiding the dreaded swoop.
“My mother would always buy big bags of wheat and throw it out in the yard for the birds and one magpie almost ended up living with us,” Mr Muscat said.
“That was when it all started for me. I would apparently sit there and sing with it and from then I’ve always been able to warble like a magpie.”
Mr Muscat’s hidden skill landed him an appearance on Australia’s Got Talent, built his social media following and even helped him score acting roles voicing magpies in cartoons.
But he said it had also given him the ability to avoid swoop attacks. He even claimed to have successfully stopped an oncoming bird in its tracks.
“What I tend to do is give them the eye and if they do swoop, I will just sing to them and they stop in their tracks,” he said.
“I have no idea what I’m saying to them, but somehow it works. They hear me warble and just stop – I don’t know if they suddenly think I’m a magpie too.”
Mr Muscat has several social media accounts under The Magpie Man name, where he has shared his uncanny ability with the world.
He said the key to making a perfect magpie call was to project the sound from the back of your throat, rather than your mouth.
“I always just assumed everybody could do it and never thought it was anything special,” he said. “But I’ve only ever met one other person that can do it anywhere near the same.”
WHY DO MAGPIES SWOOP?
While Mr Muscat has been able to avoid being swooped, hundreds of others in Australia have not been so lucky.
According to the website Magpie Alert, a community tool that allows people to report swoops, more than 600 magpie attacks have already taken place in August this year.
The website keeps a record of the number of reported swoops and displays where the incidents occurred.
Reports have started flooding in from across Australia, with Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in particular reporting large numbers.
According to conservation charity Bird Life Australia, magpies swoop when they have young in their nests – explaining the time of year it occurs.
The female magpie will stay in the nest guarding the eggs, while the male swoops on anything they think is a threat.
“Magpies swoop to protect their chicks from whatever they perceive as nearby threats,” the charity’s website reads.
“To a magpie, the faster you’re moving, the greater the threat, which is why cyclists, joggers and dog walkers are common targets.”
As Bandit explains to daughter Bingo when confronted by a swooping magpie in the Bluey episode: “He’s just being a good dad.”
BIRD FLU IMPACT
While swooping season is upon us, the avian* world continues to be rocked by a significant challenge.
The new H5 strain of bird flu has reached Australian shores, with cases now being found in native as well as migratory* birds.
In recent days, the first cases in mammals have also been discovered.
However, experts say the outbreak is unlikely to have much of an impact on the swooping habits of magpies.
Michelle Campbell-Ward, an associate professor at The University of Sydney, said the species had been identified as being low risk for bird flu.
“There has only been a single case in an Australian magpie to date; that was in Victoria,” she said.
“It is impossible to predict how many additional cases will occur and where or what impact that might have on the population dynamics in specific locations.
“Risk analysis* work has identified the species as being moderately susceptible to the disease at an individual level, but from a population level perspective, the Australian magpie has been assessed as a species of low risk.”
In the meantime, the sun’s out, the mercury is rising and swooping season is yet another very good reason to slip on your sunglasses and slap on a hat.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- aerial: coming from the sky
- rapport: a close connection, understanding or relationship
- avian: relating to birds
- migratory: birds that travel across the world during different seasons
- Risk analysis: studying how much risk there is for a bird species when it comes into contact with a serious disease and finding ways to reduce or control that risk
EXTRA READING
Magpie season swoops in
Magpie Molly makes it home
‘Bluey food’ confuses Australians
QUICK QUIZ
1. Why do magpies swoop?
2. How did Mark Muscat build his lifelong rapport with magpies?
3. What is his tip for successful warbling?
4. How much risk do magpies face when it comes to H5 bird flu?
5. How many magpie swoops were recorded on Magpie Alert in the month of August?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Critical thinking
Mark Muscat uses his magpie warble to stop the birds from swooping him. However, perhaps this is not the best line of defence for everyone.
Write a paragraph to explain your thinking about these two questions.
What are some of the problems or limitations of The Magpie Man’s approach?
What are two different ways you could try to minimise the chance of a magpie swooping you?
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
2. Extension
Write a poem about magpies that incorporates some information you have learned about them by reading this news story.
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.
Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.
Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?
Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.