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Spring is the time to be alert, but not alarmed, about swooping birds.
A number of native bird species are territorial. Magpies, butcherbirds, noisy miners and masked lapwings (plovers), establish and protect a territory during the breeding season. They may act aggressively toward other birds, domestic pets and people they perceive as threats to their nests and chicks.
For most of the year these birds are not aggressive, but for a few weeks while they are nesting, they can defend their territory vigorously. People walking past may be seen as 'invaders' of the territory, prompting the bird to fly low and fast over the person, clacking their bills as they pass overhead. The experience of a bird swooping can be quite alarming, but it’s usually only a warning. Only occasionally will a bird actually strike the intruder on the head with its beak or claws.
If a bird swoops:
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