Statistics for the Australian magpies’ 2025 breeding season show almost two in three swooping attacks are on cyclists. The magpie swooping season lasts about six weeks in the spring. BirdLife Australia’s Sean Dooley says the speed of a bike is a major factor in their swooping. Traditional methods to deal with swooping magpies include putting cable ties or pipe cleaners on helmets, wearing ice-cream containers with fake eyes on the back of the head or holding umbrellas aloft for the bird to focus on. “Don’t overreact because that will entrench the belief the magpie has that you’re a danger.”