Swooping Season

Available for over a year

Most Australians only notice magpies once a year, during ‘swooping season’. For a few weeks, local magpies appear to launch random attacks on passers-by. But maybe we’re only seeing one side of it. In this episode - why humans should learn to listen better to these intelligent birds. Blair hears from Gisela Kaplan - a Professor of Animal Behaviour who’s spent over 25 years rehabilitating native birds at her home on the south eastern coast of Australia. Gisela introduces us to a different, unexpected side of the Australian magpie. In Animal, writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals - from magpies to spiders to creatures of the deepest oceans. Producer and Sound Designer: Arlie Adlington Co-Producer: Jesse Lawson Executive Producer: Steven Rajam Sound Mixing: Arlie Adlington Series Art: Cameron Hay An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4