Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

We were driving around looking at houses when we saw this light grey (I think) bird with a colorful head running accross the road in front of us (not flying).

We laughed and thought it looked really funny. We then noticed a girl walking on on the other side of the road to it and when she saw the bird she immediately turned around and ran in the opposite direction. :blink:

It then saw the girl and went for her! Very scary. :eek:

It wasn't a magpie for any other bird I have found on Google so far.

http://www.ourbrisbane.com/suburbs/magpie-alert

Any ideas please?

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

Probably a plover http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgu...ed=0CCsQ9QEwBQ. They're little buggers for attacking kids.

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

Yeah it could be that. I'll ask the family to confirm when they are awake.

Thanks.

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

Sounds like a Bush (Plain) Turkey to me

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

Yep - probably a plover. They are very territorial as they lay their eggs on the ground. They are also known as Masked Lapwings which helps to explain the odd head gear effect!

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

Yep thanks. It was one of those. The wife and kids confirm that's what it was.

Yeah it must have been attacking to protect it's eggs.

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

Heres a Plover: http://tagr.com.au/multimedia/photos...rs/plover4.jpg
They are fierce and tend to run at you, or fly directly at you at chest height which can be intimidating.

By comparison, Magpies: http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/__data/...Magpie_620.jpg tend to swoop from high up and behind and tap you on the head as they fly past.

Scrub Turkeys: http://cassidys.ch/images/Scrub_Turkey.JPG do run around the streets in a manic unpredictable way, but tend not to be threatening in any way whatsoever (much like rural UK pheasants).

From the OPs description Plovers seem like the most likely offender.

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

When I lived in Qld, I worked in the site office for the Bruce Highway Upgrade at Caboolture. A pair of plovers were nesting in the grass outside the southbound BP services. It was a nightmare for the lads, lol - they couldn't go anywhere near it or they were attacked.

Work had to be suspended on that section until egg had hatched and Plovers and baby had moved on.

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

We have a pair just down the raod, and not only are they aggressive, they are very noist too, even in the middle of the night.:thumbdown:

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

Defo the plovers!

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

:ohmy: They sure are aggressive!

Hope I don't live near any then.

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

Nothing a good baseball bat wouldn't fix.

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

If a baseball bat had been introduced into the equation before the enviro boys became involved, they might have got away with it..

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

I got "attacked" by them at Raby Bay park. They had chicks that I never noticed and walked past them and they got quite loud.

Had to shout to tell the kids to stop and turn round.

Couple of days later my wife was speaking to a local and she said they have been attacking dogs, kids and even going for cars.

They did have about 6 chicks but they was down to 3 when i saw them and the lady said that they have lost a few due to standing up to cars :ohmy:

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

Yes, plovers are annoying little gits. I have not heard of them actually injuring anybody though.

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

At my work, in the carpark there is a concrete island with some grass in it. Cars park on both sides on this. A plover decided to nest in this area, so EVERYDAY when we're all going into work and coming out, the mum starts squaking and the dad is walking around the parking lot squaking at everybody. Has made me wonder if he'll swoop down on someone. They shouldn't nested in a really busy area! There is a botanical gardens right next to our office...would have been much quieter there!

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

Plovers are little devils we had them nesting and we used to take a broom handle held over our head when going past as they swoop. They have those little spurs on their wings.

Also the magpies and other birds swoop in spring, when out walking they hit you on the head.

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

A few pairs of plovers nest in our neighbourhood every year. This year one pair were nesting on our front garden. As the kids and I use mainly the back garden, they didn't bother us too much. The chicks, 4 of them at the start, were actually very cute to watch. However one by one they have all disappeared. The parents are hanging around, hopefully not nesting again, till next year. They still swoop at our dog because last year he sat on their eggs by accident, crushing 2 out of 4 of them!

Mrs JTL

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

:rofl: just imagining your perplexity at the sight of a human running from a small bird is hilarious!!!

As kids we were warned that plovers had some sort of spike in their wings that could take our eyes out...I still swing a pole or branch above my head if I have to walk past a known nesting ground but not sure how true the danger is. Bloody scary tho - horrible noise they make!

Magpies on the other hand are confirmed dangerous - can take out an eye or kill a pigeon in one swoop!! Viscious nasty creatures in nesting season. At my country primary school whenever we needed to use the loo we had to don the teacher's large akubra. If 2 of us needed to go, the 2nd kid had to put an ice cream bucket on their head!! Then run like blazes swinging a metre ruler above your head...

Ah, homesick now...:p

Re: Attacking Bird ID Please...
 

I grew up in Africa and have personally fought off Pterodactyls, T-Rexs and Jabbawockys, but never thought a human would ever be scared of a timid little Plover in Australia!!! :lol: