Magpie holds six-year grudge against Victorian schoolboy
A magpie has targeted a 12-year-old boy every spring for six years after he hit it with a broom.
Louis, 12, has been swooped and pecked by the same magpie every spring for six years in north-east Victoria. The conflict began when the bird attacked him on his bike; he hit it with a broom to defend himself, and the magpie has targeted him every spring since.
Louis carries a stick to school and takes alternate routes, but the bird still singles him out even when he travels with friends. Griffith University professor Darryl Jones says magpies can remember up to about 30 faces and hold lengthy grudges, one of his colleagues was attacked by specific magpies for years, and they still remembered him after he returned from 15 years overseas.
The good news: magpies can be won over. Jones has helped 20 people end magpie conflicts by leaving treats like mince or cheese, teaching the bird to see them as friends rather than threats.
- 12
- Louis's age
- 6 years
- Duration of attacks
- about 30 faces
- Magpie memory capacity
- 20 people helped end conflicts
- Expert helper success
Why it mattersIf you're in a magpie conflict, the grudge can last years, but feeding and gentle handling can actually turn the bird friendly.
