Vigilante Canberrans push back on swooping magpie attacks

Parks and Conservation Service are saying they have been receiving calls from wildlife lovers about an increasing number of people throwing rocks, destroying nests and waving sticks at magpies.

"It is an offence under the Nature Conservation ACT 1980 to harm native animals, destroy nests or take eggs," a spokeswoman from the service said.

She added that the service wanted members of the public to know "while they may be reacting to being swooped, this sort of behaviour only makes the situation worse for themselves and other people in the community".

Swooping season has extended in the past few years, from the end of August to December and even January.

There are 74 locations across Canberra where TAMS have set up magpie swooping signage for the season.

TAMS have gone as far as to isolate a number of magpie attack "hotspots".

On the northside, residents often turned into victims on Campbell Street in Ainslie, near the police station and markets on Lathlain Street in Belconnen, Grevillea Park in Russell, at the playing fields on Moyes Street in Holt and near Weetangera Primary.

Hotspots on the southside include on the Cotter Road and Steve Irwin Avenue in Wright, Athllon Drive and Beasley Street in Torrens, on the bike path behind See Place in Curtin, the Pine Island playground in Greenway as well as Chifley Place in Chifley.

Magpies are a factor in a small number of injuries each year, where "pecking" causes people to lose control of their bicycle.

TAMS advises attacks may be be avoided by going slow through a bird's territory, walking your bike and leaving sites "promptly".

Informal testing by ANU and CSIRO researchers, including of the "preschool treatment", showed cable ties on helmets did not stop birds swooping.