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Vicious Magpies Attack Harley Davidson Rider in Australia

Magpies are the not among the most terrifying things you can come across in the Australian outback, but as it turns out, they can be pretty dangerous during mating season. Especially if you’re a cyclist or a biker.
Biker gets swooped by 2 vicious magpies during joyride in Australia 5 photos
Photo: YouTube / SkidPig
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One biker - vlogger took out his Harley Davidson with the sole purpose of illustrating the “pure phychoness of the Australian magpies,” by riding around a place he knew they were likely to swoop. The result is in the video at the bottom of the page.

If you never knew you had good reason to fear a magpie, you do now. Luckily, the biker has his helmet on and it’s actually the only thing that’s protecting him from serious injury. During mating season, magpies tend to swoop on people they perceive as threats, and this often results in serious injury – either because those people, be they pedestrians or bikers, don’t have helmets on, or because the bikers lose control of their bicycle or motorcycle.

The video shows the vlogger going at speeds of over 55 kilometers per hour and 2 birds swooping down on him repeatedly, pecking him on the helmet. He laughs it off, but even he admits he wouldn’t be doing it if he didn’t have protection.

To capture all the action, he uses 2 GoPro cameras, one on his helmet and the other one on the handles of his bike. He only manages to shake off the attackers when he speeds away.

“Alright so there you go that's what magpies do to you,” he says towards the end of the video. “You can imagine what that would do if you didn't have a helmet on.”

So remember: helmets are meant to protect you when you’re out riding, in more ways than one.

*Warning: please be advised that the footage below contains language that might offend.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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