The butcher bird might look small and harmless, but to its victims it's a nightmare with wings. Remove the launch pad. Walking frame triggers swooping attack. Often there is a particular branch or railing on your porch that the bird is launching itself from to attack the windows. Magpie swooping avoidance strategies. It's at this time of year that cyclists of all persuasions take on a slightly unhealthy pallour, and get a bit wild around the eyes at the prospect of solo rides: magpies are unabashed cowards and will rarely attack a large group. I DON'T use a walking frame and I am 49 years younger than Dodie Allen so you would think a dive-bombing butcher bird would not cause me too many concerns. DELWP creates thriving environments and communities. My local paper was using an image of a Butcher Bird and was calling it a Magpie. Take it into the house ASAP and do not put it out till the Butcher as given up.or gone away. Common swooping birds. Magpies are well known for swooping posties and bike riders, but other species including Butcher Birds, Magpie-Larks, Crows and Masked lapwings can also create human conflict issues. You can stretch some out front of your aviary to keep wild birds further away. Some birds have developed overly aggresive behaviour to people usually when nesting. Birds generally swoop for one of 2 reasons – to protect their eggs or young during the breeding season, or to get food. Well it's magpie season 1 (or should that be Australian Airborne Death From Above Squad) so now's the time people want to know How to stop magpies swooping.. Cross the road or avoid known swooping trees for the first few weeks of spring. deterring swooping butcherbirds… By Birding-Aus, on October 26th, 2014 hi All, I’d appreciate any suggestions on deterring swooping butcherbirds (Grey Butcherbird, in Bullaburra west of Sydney) – my friend has a newborn baby and can barely get out to the washing line to hang out nappies… Butcher bird aka Shrike will attack caged birds as the believe that they are injured and can not get away.yours being in a cage give this predator the idea that there is something wrong or your bird is sick. Having a bird swoop towards your head can be very scary. Their flight-feathers are black with a white stripe and they have a white patch between the beak and eyes. ... but it doesn’t stop them from swooping runners or walkers. I have a problem with doves at my aviaries and my husbands aviary attracts magpies, butcher birds and crows. ... Grey Butcher birds resemble a grey and white, half-sized magpie. Worse still, some birds cannot be persuaded to change their ways: one man told Cilento he had been attacked as a boy and the same bird was still … You can buy stretchy black plastic bird netting from the hardware store. Swooping is a common defensive behaviour. The birds aim to threaten or bluff and … Common swooping birds. But there is a lot you can do to stop birds from attacking your windows, so that you can live happily side by side.