Lost a piece of my ear to a magpie nearly twenty years ago hah.

I just feed them something healthy occasionally and they’re friendly. The local ones will take a grasshopper right out of my hand now.

If there is one in your area, feed it. Buy a small bag of dry dog food or dog treats and throw a few to the magpie whenever you walk or ride past, all year long.

They will recognise you as a friend and not swoop you. And you have a new friend.

I used to chat to 'mine' after I mowed the lawn. They always did a patrol in the late arvo after I mowed: "Hey mate, hope you get some good worms!".

The ones in my immediate area never swooped me, and I was also bike riding. Apparently, they recognise faces and let each other know who to swoop or not.

A couple of suburbs over, while on my bike, I got swooped a couple of times, but I think they got the word somehow, and I never got swooped again.

Meh, anecdotes and theories.

Perhaps magpies can recognise cunts, and that's who they swoop. We could let them loose in Parliament House and let's see who comes out alive.

IDC, I love their warbles and calls