Council urges residents to avoid magpie nesting areas

Council urges residents to avoid magpie nesting areas

Residents in the Goondiwindi region are being warned to avoid magpie nesting areas following recent reports of swoopings.

Goondiwindi Regional Council will be updating its response to the recent magpie attacks at its next Ordinary Council meeting.

Mayor Graeme Scheu said Council would be relying heavily on the guidelines set out by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection to develop its position.

“We will consider a range of actions that will be scaled according to the location of the bird, the severity of the attack and other considerations,” Cr Scheu said.

“However, the key message is to try to avoid nesting areas as much as possible or to be prepared for a swoop.”

Council has received several reports of magpie swoopings in the region, with high-risk areas identified as the Macintyre Riverwalk, the Goondiwindi netball courts and Riddles Oval. ‘Swooping season’ typically lasts from August until October each year, when adult magpies are especially protective over their eggs or newly-hatched chicks.

Residents are advised that they can record incidents of swooping online at www.magpiealert.com. The website also allows users to track the locations of recorded attacks in the region to help them avoid becoming a target in the future, and users can register to receive alerts on new attacks nearby.

• For more information, visit www.magpiealert.com.

For more information, please contact:

Councillor Graeme Scheu
Mayor
Goondiwindi Regional Council
Mobile: 0427 718 877

Email: mayor@grc.qld.gov.au