Hospital manager and wildlife veterinarian Dr Ludo Valenza told 7NEWS.com.au the timing is disturbing, with magpies now entering the stage where they begin nesting and laying eggs \u2014 the trigger for swooping behaviour.<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGenerally, from August is when magpies start to make their nests and lay their eggs. For this reason, they can become protective of their babies and see humans as a threat,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is often due to previous altercations a magpie has had with a person.\u201d<\/p>\n Valenza said the hospital\u2019s recent cases are deeply troubling. <\/p>\n \u201cWe examined six magpies for exactly the same injuries. They all had both legs snapped at the same location,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cTo admit six birds with the same injury \u2014 it\u2019s too much of a coincidence. The magpies also had no other signs of trauma associated with being hit by a car.\u201d<\/p>\n Magpie swooping season typically lasts about two months, with thousands of Australians reporting attacks each year. But Valenza says the birds\u2019 behaviour is often misunderstood.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not aggression. It\u2019s a defensive and protective behaviour,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cJust as humans protect their young, magpies will do so as well.<\/p>\n \u201cMagpies all have individual personalities so it\u2019s hard to know what an individual magpie might be reactive to.\u201d<\/p>\n She urged people to avoid known swooping zones where possible. <\/p>\n \u201cThe best way to prepare is to avoid walking in areas where magpies are swooping. The safest way to move through an area where a magpie is nesting is to just keep your head down and walk past quickly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n While swooping season is a familiar fear for many Australians, Valenza says the bigger concern right now is the cruelty being inflicted on wildlife.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we have seen in these magpies is utterly disturbing and heartbreaking,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cNo matter what the reason is behind these acts of cruelty, it\u2019s completely unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the hospital has seen a rise in deliberate harm to native animals. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have seen flying foxes shot with BB guns, brush turkeys spray painted, and kangaroos shot with arrows,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cOur wildlife is already under threat from habitat destruction, vehicle hits and attacks by domestic pets. Our society has no room for individuals who want to harm animals.\u201d<\/p>\n Anyone with information is urged to contact the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital or police.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nikki Webster milestone: 25 years of Strawberry Kisses<\/p>\n 1 min read<\/p>\n![\"Six](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/886a0ccc40ff932e76357fa8368c0891bd49c145.jpg\")
Six magpies have been hospitalised with the same injury Credit: Wildlife Warriors<\/p>\n