They come from above: here’s why magpies, magpie-larks and lapwings swoop in spring

By Meg Edwards, Lecturer in Wildlife Science, University of Southern Queensland

If you live in Australia or New Zealand, the coming of spring is a mixed blessing. The days get warmer. Flowers bloom. Birds nest.

It’s this last change which can be a problem. Nesting makes male birds from species such as magpies, magpie-larks and masked lapwings (also known as plovers) territorial and protective – and willing to dive-bomb humans.

One species is notorious – the Australian magpie. This iconic black and white songbird is a familiar sight in cities and towns across both Australia and New Zealand, as it was…

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