|
The book "Magpie Alert" by Darryl
Jones (UNSW Press 2002) goes into that behaviour, though it being a few months
since I read it and reviewed it for Canberra Bird Notes, I had
forgotten about that aspect. Page 47 of the book describes this calling
associated with aggression. I agree with John's observation although most people
are not as bird aware as we are and wouldn't know a magpie from a duck.
I can also inform that I have been bitten in the
face by a Pied Butcherbird after having stopped to admire two newly fledged Pied
Butcherbirds and was strolling off. It shrieked as it hit me.
The signs about "Swooping Bird", without even
getting specific! are done because signs mentioning Magpies tend to be
souvenired, probably due to the connection to Collingwood football
club.
Philip
-----Original Message-----
From:
John Leonard <>
To:
<>
Date:
Thursday, 23 October 2003 19:59
Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] audible
warning of swooping magpie
I have been swooped on my way
to work for the last month or so (this is
while cycling), and this
prompts me to an observation.
Each time I have entered the territory
of the swooping magpie I have heard
the angry 'Yeow Yeow' call
before it has attacked. This hasn't always
helped me to predict which
direction the bird was going to come from, but I
have never been swooped
without hearing that call in the preceding few
seconds.
In the
experience of birding-aus members, do magpies always give audible
warning before swooping? If so, it might be a useful thing to include in
public information about magpie attacks, as even a second's warning
allows
one to crouch lower, or, for a cyclist, to slow down—as it
is those keyed in
to the call are at a distinct advantage. Public
information in the ACT, at
any rate, is pretty hopeless; the standard
notice refers to a "Swooping
Bird", without even getting
specific!
John
Leonard
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
John
Leonard (Dr)
m("hotmail.com","calyptorhynchus");">
http://www.webone.com.au/~jleonard
PO
Box 243, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia
|
