Swooping birds
Native birds can be found in cities and towns, in our gardens, local parks, school yards, sporting fields and in street trees along busy roads. Our urban environment offers them places to sleep and shelter, along with an abundance of food.
The balance of many species has altered as a result of urban development and diminishing bushland areas. Some species have become adept at surviving and breeding in these 'highly modified' environments.
Our alfresco dining lifestyle can mean an easy food supply for some enterprising bird species such as the silver gull, little raven and laughing kookaburra. Discarded food scraps are easy pickings for these birds. People also put out food to attract wildlife to their yard while some like to feed the birds and ducks at the local park or beach.
Competing for food, water, refuge and breeding sites can place some species into conflict with other bird species and with humans.
The department has a 'living with wildlife' philosophy that encourages people to acquaint themselves with their local wildlife. We believe that an understanding of wildlife behaviour is the key to living harmoniously with native animals. These animals are part of our environment and we must all take responsibility for them.
Birds that swoop to protect their nest and young, protect their territory or to scavenge food, include:
- Australian magpie
- magpie lark
- masked lapwing
- Australian wood duck
- noisy miner
- little wattlebird
- red wattlebird
- silver gull
- laughing kookaburra
- little raven
- Australian pelican.
Our factsheet explains why these birds swoop and tells you how to protect yourself when they do:
