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Associated Press

An Australian bike rider died Sunday after he veered off the road to avoid a swooping magpie, police say.
The unidentified 76-year-old man was cycling along Nicholson Park in Woonona, New South Wales, when a witness saw him career into a fence post as he tried to avoid the bird, police said.
The man fell off his bike and sustained serious head injuries. He died later after being airlifted to a hospital, police said.
Magpies, striking black and white birds, commonly swoop down during the August-October mating season in Australia, harassing people.
Weirdly, magpies are less likely to swoop if you look at them, so you actually have to lock eyes with them and hold the staredown until you’re out of sight
New South Wales parks service
Gisela Kaplan, a professor who studies animal behaviour at the University of New England, told 7News that the birds swoop when they perceive an unknown threat by an intruder.
“A stranger means an intrusion,” she told the broadcaster. “Magpies are smart enough to recognise people and their habits and won’t swoop anyone they’ve come to know and trust.”
According to news.com.au, some male magpies are most aggressive in September after eggs have been laid.
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Magpiealert.com, which allows Australians to self-report attacks from the birds across the country, has already tracked over 1,700 attacks in 2019, which have resulted in more than 200 injuries.
Australia’s national parks service says the best way to avoid an attack is to just walk away. Often, the birds just want to send a warning, but they might strike if “the bird just doesn’t like you”, the New South Wales parks service writes in a blog post.
A variety of defence mechanisms are used across Australia, including sticking cable ties and painting eyes on helmets, the park service says.
“Weirdly, magpies are less likely to swoop if you look at them, so you actually have to lock eyes with them and hold the staredown until you’re out of sight,” the park service adds.


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The 76-year-old man fell off his bike and sustained serious head injuries
Magpies commonly swoop down in Australia, harassing people from August to October during their mating season



Magpies commonly swoop down in Australia, harassing people from August to October during their mating season.


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Australian cyclist dies trying to avoid swooping magpie bird

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} The 76-year-old man fell off his bike and sustained serious head injuries Magpies commonly swoop down in Australia, harassing people from August to October during their mating season

The 76-year-old man fell off his bike and sustained serious head injuries

Magpies commonly swoop down in Australia, harassing people from August to October during their mating season