Brisbane residents are being encouraged to stay alert and take precautions with swooping bird season due to peak this month.
Breeding season starts in July and can last until January, with September typically recording the highest number of swooping incidents.
There were 165 incidents reported to Brisbane City Council in September 2023, representing almost 43% of all cases across the 2023 calendar year.
Since the 2024 swooping season began in July, 68 incidents have been reported to Council.
“We take every bird swooping incident seriously and act appropriately to protect the community,” said Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner.
Council has rolled out more than 120 new warning signs across 36 suburbs this year to warn residents about potential swooping hotpots.
“In 2021, we received a high number of swooping calls and took action by upgrading the warning signs with bright eye-catching colours and designs,” said Lord Mayor Schrinner.
“Our signs are quickly rolled out if we’re alerted to swooping incidents and they have proven incredibly effective with less incidents reported to Council since they were introduced.
“We always encourage residents to let us know where swooping is occurring so officers can notify the community with high-visibility signage and also monitor the birds.
“Native wildlife contributes to the incredible lifestyle we have here in Brisbane, and we have to coexist with these birds during swooping season while keeping the community safe.”
The suburbs with the highest number of swooping birds incidents to date includes Greenslopes, Carseldine, New Farm, Bracken Ridge and Keperra.
The Council says there has been a noticeable decrease in swooping bird reports since it introduced highly visible warning signs in 2021.
- 1,193 notifications of swooping birds in 2021
- 726 notifications of swooping birds in 2022
- 571 notifications of swooping birds in 2023
- 2024 to date – 149 notifications of swooping birds.
Despite the decrease in reports, residents should continue to take precautions, avoid areas where swooping birds are present and report aggressive birds to Council, the Lord Mayor advised.
The birds swoop to protect their young from potential threats and common swooping birds include magpies, plovers, butcherbirds, pee-wees and the noisy miner.
Council has the authority to engage qualitied wildlife experts to relocate problem birds if the expert considers they present a serious risk to the public.
All native birds are protected under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992 and there are serious penalties for taking, harassing or injuring native wildlife.
Precautions to take this swooping season:
- avoid areas where birds are nesting during the breeding season
- if you are swooped, leave the area as quickly as possible but do not run
- wear a hat or carry an umbrella to protect your head and wear glasses to protect your eyes
- do not interfere with the birds or their nest as this may increase swooping behaviour
- watch the bird while walking away quickly, it is less likely to swoop if it knows you’re watching
- do not harass or provoke birds
- do not touch a young bird
- if you are being swooped while riding your bike, dismount and walk away.
Suburbs with the highest reported swooping incidents year to date:
- Greenslopes
- Carseldine
- New Farm
- Bracken Ridge
- Keperra
- Camp Hill
- Forest Lake
- Sinnamon Park
- Teneriffe
- Calamvale
- Bridgeman Downs
- Upper Mount Gravatt.
