But it is so easy to stop.

Maggies are smart, apart from this destructive behaviour, but this makes them easy to train.

They were swooping here when we bought the place. just stepping outside the sliding glass door to the pool area invited an attack. It took only 5 days of leaving some dry cat food out for them, & the swooping was a thing of the past. Dry food, mince & a bird bath has made the maggies our friends. They will even start knocking on that glass door, & warbling, if we are running late with breakfast.

This time of year, with young to feed they are working hard, & will eat out of your hand with a little encouragement. They have even made friends with the dog. The female sits on the edge of her bowl, sharing the chunky mince bits.

Yep a little effort will make them friends rather than a danger. Throw some dry cat food around where you have a problem maggy, & you'll be amazed how quickly they change.

Our domestic starlings were friendly during renovations, busily ripping out chunks of insulation to make room for large, warm nests of grass. By unscrewing and forcing up the roofing it was possible to adjust armfuls of hay which piled up across the lawns. Then installed and screwed strips of wood in the gap. As burglar security a piece of wire netting was cunningly fitted over the defences and we rejoice to this day hear them striving and chattering to remove the steel barrier.

When you feed native animals you're giving them the wildlife equivalent of JUNK FOOD, cat food is junk food for magpies. Instead of eating a wide range of natural foods, foods that are not part of their natural diet can make them very sick. They may also lose their ability to forage for natural foods and be endangered by predictor animals, particularly introduced species like dog and cats. Hassy do you also have a cat which eats that dry cat food? I suggest it be given the cat food (in doors) and not the birds. .

Think twice before you feed native fauna, such as birds, a moment's pleasure for you may lead to the animal you feed becoming addicted to junk food. The good news is that there are responsible ways to attract wildlife to your backyard without endangering yourself or the natural order. Planting native trees to provide natural foods for visiting birds is an excellent idea.
If you'd like to observe birds up close, install a bird bath or water feature. A water feature may also attract frogs. That chemically toxic, energy wasting, concrete tub or above ground steel and plastic monstrosity laughingly called a swimming pool should go! Instead plant those native trees which are suitable to the environment in its place. Include some shrubs for smaller birds to hide in. You can sit in the shade and cool of the trees reading 'Bob Brown's Green Nomads: Across Australia's Wild Heritage' and before you know it, Bob's your uncle!

p/s To avoid scaring the wildlife away, be sure to keep any cats and that dog inside the house 24/7!

p/p/s Hassy, as long as the maggies are only attacking your head, I can't see them doing much damage!

Your maggies may develop flabby arteries, raised cholesterol and deep vein thrombosis from binge calories. Regular exercise should be routine, gradually increasing from slow swooping to high dives.
The average prey (birds, mice, rabbits, etc.) of a wild cat is made up of only 3 – 5% of calories from carbohydrates. Now consider that dry kibble diets generally range from 35% – 50% carbohydrate calories and you will see a serious disconnect between what the cat is designed to eat and what Man insists on feeding to them. Dry foods flood the cat’s system with 5-10 times (500% – 1,000%) more calories from carbohydrates than what would be found in a wild cat’s prey.

Ask your butcher for minced magpie which can be offered to your birds - or preferably fine-ground starling.

//Hassy do you also have a cat which eats that dry cat food? I suggest it be given the cat food (in doors) and not the birds.//

//Ask your butcher for minced magpie which can be offered to your birds - or preferably fine-ground starling.//

Use the dry cat food to fatten the cat, then feed it to the magpies. Sorted.