Terabith Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 We were discussing how incredibly venomous Australia life is, and I asked, “How do people survive there?” My bio special interest kid was talking about how the venomous stuff mostly just wants to be left alone and avoids people but that magpies have some of the highest kill rate, and I googled swooping season and holy crap. Terrifying birds I had no idea I thought they were adorable collectors. 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 Death by magpie is extremely rare. So rare that I hadn't even heard of it until I read your post and googled. I love them. Their warbling is one of our favourite songs, and they're routinely voted Australia's favourite bird. They're smart and understand commerce. Other continents may have magpies, but ours are the handsomest in the world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) The extent of my magpie knowledge comes from Bluey (“Curry Quest”). I’m not sure how accurate it is…but there is swooping involved. 😉 Edited January 11 by alisoncooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 Also there’s this. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 Oh sure, they swoop during family season. Usually as a warning, not usually to damage. Like most, don't bother them and they'll probably not bother you. I used to put my umbrella up during swooping season when they were nesting in a tree I had to pass to and from the shops after I got swooped. Must have been in a mood because that was the only time they swooped me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-09/magpies-swoop-bald-more-often-survey-finds/103297520 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 One of the coolest things we observed in Australia a few years back was a toddler was wandering around a park, and whenever she headed towards the road, a magpie would call, get the child's attention, and lead her away from the parking lot, staying just out of reach. I knew they were smart-I didn't know they were capable babysitters! 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 3 minutes ago, Dmmetler said: One of the coolest things we observed in Australia a few years back was a toddler was wandering around a park, and whenever she headed towards the road, a magpie would call, get the child's attention, and lead her away from the parking lot, staying just out of reach. I knew they were smart-I didn't know they were capable babysitters! Druid in training! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 The juvenile magpie , same size as adult follows the mother around all-day yelling at the top of its voice something that sounds like more more. While the mother frantically grabs worms to feed it. I feel for the mother. 2 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 My brother was bit by a tiger snake yesterday. He has a farm and was in long grass . He was airlifted to hospital . He was very lucky. He wasn't venomised. He is home and all is well. 5 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 9 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said: My brother was bit by a tiger snake yesterday. He has a farm and was in long grass . He was airlifted to hospital . He was very lucky. He wasn't venomised. He is home and all is well. Woah. As a mom getting ready to send a kid to Australia for a semester, that’s freaking scary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 7 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said: Death by magpie is extremely rare. So rare that I hadn't even heard of it until I read your post and googled. I love them. Their warbling is one of our favourite songs, and they're routinely voted Australia's favourite bird. They're smart and understand commerce. Other continents may have magpies, but ours are the handsomest in the world! I'm Australian, and I've never heard of death by magpie. I love maggies. Their song is so beautiful. Yes, they do protect their young, and so they should. 1 hour ago, saraha said: Woah. As a mom getting ready to send a kid to Australia for a semester, that’s freaking scary @saraha As you know, I'm where your daughter is headed. I've never seen a tiger snake. We have plenty of snakes here in Brisbane (you may have seen my photo from my parents' house the other day), but it's pretty rare to cross paths with a venomous one. I know zero people who have been bitten by a venomous snake. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 I know several. Though we only have venomous snakes in my area. And lots of them, it being mostly bush and scrubland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaelAldrich Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Having been medium term residents to Australia (and looks like DH is going back in May and June so I think I'll be coming back too!), I love her flora and fauna, but there are an awful lot of danger signs! Our daily run path in Adelaide was punctuated by a watch out for threatening bees sign. And the shark warnings at Bondi were fun to think about as my kids learned how to surf! The magpies dive-bombed the bikers in St Peters and so we saw creatively dressed helmets to ward off head injury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 4 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said: The juvenile magpie , same size as adult follows the mother around all-day yelling at the top of its voice something that sounds like more more. While the mother frantically grabs worms to feed it. I feel for the mother. I always imagine it as 'Mum! Mum! Mum!' I feel for maggie mums too. Those juveniles are very vocal and demanding. @Terabith Our local council posts signs in parks and on roadsides, warning us of nesting maggies. That's the only time they swoop - if they think their babies are at risk. And they don't always swoop. We always have magpie families in our yard and none of them swoop. We must clearly be understood to be no threat. And my parents hand feed magpie families at their house. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 You aren’t going to believe this, but my mom just called me to tell me that she told the manager at Burger King (😆) that my dd is going to Australia and he said he’s always wanted to go until her heard about Spider season and then proceeded to show her terrifying pictures. She came straight home to call me and tell me and I have to look it up right now and tell dd to make sure she packs allergy medicine in case she gets bit. From pictures in the internet it does look terrifying, but it appears it will not indeed be spider season while dd is there. Right @chocolate-chip chooky? right?????!!!!!????? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 My sister raised a magpie that was brought in for care during a storm. He bossed every animal around for 20 years. He made his own family and brought them back to visit for 20 years. Everyone was heartbroken when he finally died. My DD has helped a couple - one we slowly released but didn’t see long term, so hopefully he survived. We have a pretty aggressive local bunch that ticked him off so he may have moved to less contested territory. The other one sadly died at around four months. Baby magpies are completely adorable but being a magpie mom or Dad is definitely demanding. They are impossible to ignore when hungry but the change in pitch when the food goes down is so funny, as is the sounds they make when they’re trying to learn to warble. They also have a phenomenal memory and are more likely to swoop anyone who’s given them trouble in the past. Our local gang (the magpie mafia according to DH) think they own the scraps we put out for the chooks and my poor chooks are absolutely terrified of them. They do occasionally gang up on one of their own when they’re old and ill and it can be quite brutal and sad. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 3 hours ago, saraha said: You aren’t going to believe this, but my mom just called me to tell me that she told the manager at Burger King (😆) that my dd is going to Australia and he said he’s always wanted to go until her heard about Spider season and then proceeded to show her terrifying pictures. She came straight home to call me and tell me and I have to look it up right now and tell dd to make sure she packs allergy medicine in case she gets bit. From pictures in the internet it does look terrifying, but it appears it will not indeed be spider season while dd is there. Right @chocolate-chip chooky? right?????!!!!!????? Right now we do have a lot of spiders, it's true. I'm catching and releasing huntsmen every couple of days. They might look scary, but they won't harm you. We have more snakes and spiders during the hot wet summers, so it should definitely be better by late Feb when your daughter arrives. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 You know what's interesting? My youngest daughter says she never wants to travel to the USA. Mass shootings are way scarier than snakes and spiders. 2 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookbard Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 18 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said: You know what's interesting? My youngest daughter says she never wants to travel to the USA. Mass shootings are way scarier than snakes and spiders. And bears. Bears are way scarier than snakes or spiders. Plus you have mountain lions. We can walk through the bush knowing there's no predator that will leap out of the bushes at you, let alone try to eat you. I think the scariest animal in Australia is the crocodile. But you can avoid them by not hanging around waterways in the northern areas of Australia. It's too hot up that way anyway lol. Stay south and you'll be right, esp in winter, because the snakes are too lethargic to bother you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condessa Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 46 minutes ago, bookbard said: And bears. Bears are way scarier than snakes or spiders. Plus you have mountain lions. We can walk through the bush knowing there's no predator that will leap out of the bushes at you, let alone try to eat you. I think the scariest animal in Australia is the crocodile. But you can avoid them by not hanging around waterways in the northern areas of Australia. It's too hot up that way anyway lol. Stay south and you'll be right, esp in winter, because the snakes are too lethargic to bother you. Dingos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 What scares me are things like spiders and snakes, that I can't see (in shoes or in hidden places). I'm also scared of things like cone snails that are masquerading as something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 24 minutes ago, Condessa said: Dingos? You'd have to go looking for them, and you probably still wouldn't find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 16 minutes ago, Terabith said: What scares me are things like spiders and snakes, that I can't see (in shoes or in hidden places). I'm also scared of things like cone snails that are masquerading as something else. Bang your shoes together so anyone in there will fall out, keep your grass short in summer, and don't stick your hand into places you can't see. I mean, if you do that, it'll serve you right what you find, won't it? Personal space, eh? I probably have a brown snake living in my yard. A neighbour tells me most years that she's seen it going under my fence. I've never seen it, but also, *I don't go looking for it!* We share. Winter is my turn in the yard, summer is its turn. The only thing I'm killing down here in inland, southern Australia are mice, flies and snails. There probably are venomous beasties around, but I don't go looking for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookbard Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 41 minutes ago, Condessa said: Dingos? The only place where dingos seem to be dangerous is on K'gari island where tourist interaction has stopped them being scared of humans. I haven't heard of any other issues (except Azaria Chamberlain of course, but that was a unique situation quite a long time ago now). There are definitely dingos where we live, but I've never heard of them attacking bushwalkers, or even approaching them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 2 hours ago, chocolate-chip chooky said: You know what's interesting? My youngest daughter says she never wants to travel to the USA. Mass shootings are way scarier than snakes and spiders. My kid would love to go to Australia for grad school in part because it feels so safe. Of course, this is also a kid who loves snakes, lizards and crocodiles... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 2 hours ago, chocolate-chip chooky said: You know what's interesting? My youngest daughter says she never wants to travel to the USA. Mass shootings are way scarier than snakes and spiders. I agree 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 2 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said: Bang your shoes together so anyone in there will fall out, keep your grass short in summer, and don't stick your hand into places you can't see. I mean, if you do that, it'll serve you right what you find, won't it? Personal space, eh? I probably have a brown snake living in my yard. A neighbour tells me most years that she's seen it going under my fence. I've never seen it, but also, *I don't go looking for it!* We share. Winter is my turn in the yard, summer is its turn. The only thing I'm killing down here in inland, southern Australia are mice, flies and snails. There probably are venomous beasties around, but I don't go looking for them. Sensible advice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 I also check the ceiling in my bedroom every single night for huntsman spiders 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 We have a LOT of snakes and have multiple close encounters every summer. I have a LOT of snake stories 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 7 hours ago, Condessa said: Dingos? None where we are south of the dog fence They are only in more remote places mostly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 The bush around here is full of them. It was thought it was all wild domesticated dogs, until they started DNA testing some. Nope pure dingo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 I had no idea there were mountain dingoes until a visit to the dingo sanctuary with a homeschool group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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