Pedestrians can protect their heads from magpie attacks by using a hat or an umbrella, or avoid areas frequented by the birds altogether, New Taipei City officials said yesterday.
The comments came days after a video showing a magpie diving at a person walking a dog sparked public interest, with New Taipei City Councilor Lu Chia-kai (呂家愷) calling on the authorities to warn the public about the birds.
The bird shown in the video is a Formosan blue magpie, New Taipei City Animal Protection and Quarantine Office Director Yang Shu-fang (楊淑方) said.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office
Formosan blue magpies are a class 3 protected species, meaning disturbing or harming their hatchlings and nests is a crime punishable by a two-year prison sentence or an NT$500,000 fine, New Taipei City Agriculture Bureau Director Lee Wen (李玟) said.
Magpies rear their young for five to six weeks and can be aggressive to perceived intruders near their nesting area during this period, Yang said.
People walking near an area claimed by a magpie should not turn their back to the bird and protect themselves, she said.
The office has received three reports of magpie attacks in Sansia (三峽), Shulin (樹林) and Sindian (新店) districts, she said.
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