“Go fast but don’t run” or “Wear a hat or cover your umbrella” signs appear in Australia every spring. The decrease in habitat leads to clashes between magpies and humans.
On a beautiful spring day in Melbourne, Geoff Maslen was cycling to the gym when he felt something hit his helmet on his head. At first he didn’t understand what was going on, it wasn’t raining at the time. It was only later that Maslen learned that an evil bird was violently pecking the back of his head.
“My friend was attacked by evil, but she realized that the helmet would prevent her from hurting herself, so he grabbed her ear as he leaned forward. Blood flowed through his head, ”Maslen said.
Australia is famous for its dangerous wildlife, from sharks to spiders and snakes. Perhaps it is strange for foreigners to find that the most frightening animal for the locals is a beautiful black and white bird that is just over 12 inches tall.
In September, according to Australian media, in Perth, a boy in a stroller was nearly blinded after he fell and attacked the boy’s face. That same month, a Melbourne reporter posted photos of blood streaming down his face after an angry bird “didn’t know where it was coming from” and injured him.
This season alone, there have been around 3,000 dive-down crimes, injuring around 400 people. The Devilish Alert website says the majority of the incidents happened between August and mid-October.
However, despite the fear they bring, evil is still one of the beloved birds. In December 2017, they were selected as Australia’s Bird of the Year in a survey organized by Guardian and BirdLife, outperforming Kingfisher and Kingfisher.
“These are species with a special charm. They are very attractive, intelligent and make friends, especially those who give them food, ”Maslen said.
Even so, the “relationship” can go in the opposite direction. “I have a friend in Brisbane,” he says. He said he had been targeted by evil for 25 years. “
“Common behavior” of birds
Gisela Kaplan, professor emeritus at the University of New England in Southeastern Australia, has studied evil behavior for decades and is the guardian of this bird. She told CNN that the bird can have a long-term relationship with humans if treated well.
“Swaying is a behavior common to all birds. We usually don’t notice it because most songwriters are short and if they fall we won’t notice, ”she says.
This phenomenon usually occurs in males to defend themselves when they sense that a stranger or threat is too close to their nest. Professor Kaplan said it was a warning to strangers to stay away and not attack intentionally.
“They’ll probably come down a few times to signal ‘you’re too close to my nest’ and if humans don’t respond they’ll fly closer to our heads and even collide,” she explained.
According to her, a bird will not want to “come into conflict” with humans in order to avoid injury. “The devil does not want and does not benefit from such contact. They could break their necks.
