Quote Originally Posted by cylegoddess View Post
I know I can put plastic thingies on helmet...
Hiya,

Those plastic things are cable ties and you loop them around the gaps in your helmet. You can find them at hardware shops (you will get a packet of a hundred for a few dollars) - or ask your IT team at work. They'll probably just give you a handful to take home.

The cable ties give the magpie the illusion that you are bigger than you are so if they swoop they won't get so close to your head (or make contact!) because they'll think your head is at the end of the cable ties - if that makes sense??

School kids wearing ice-cream containers on their heads are just getting the protection of the plastic container. It doesn't stop the magpie either unfortunately.

There are many old wives tales about magpie season and who knows which ones are most effective...I am definitely paranoid of them during breeding season so I understand where you are coming from.

Some people disagree about the sense in painting eyes on the back of your helmet because magpies target the eyes so it might be seen as an act of aggression and provoke an attack. On the other hand, if the magpie believes that they're your eyes they won't go for your real eyes.

One my commute there is a miner bird who likes to swoop in fast from behind (in my blindspot so I have to keep my head swivelling to spot him). The impact will knock my helmet out of place and scare me half to death - even when I know it's coming!!! When it gets really aggressive - in the middle of the season i guess?? - I furiously wave a branch at it while I'm peddling as fast as I can to get away. So far that's worked to stop it reaching my helmet.

On some of the local message boards people give warnings if they come across a nasty bird that needs to be avoided. We have a particularly nasty one in Manly - "The Pine St Psycho" - who has been known to take chunks out of human ears and cheeks. Everyone avoids this street but I don't know how the residents exist.

The other amazing thing is that magpies are a protected species in NSW - not sure about other states - so we can't do anything about them!!!

Anyway, good luck to you during magpie season, my friend!!!!